
Ham radio has been around for more than 100 years but there’s never really been a show dedicated to the incredibly complex but also unbelievably fun competitive side of our hobby.
It’s time for a podcast devoted to amateur radio contests. Now we have one.
Welcome to Zone Zero.
I remember what it was like being a novice teenage contester. Back in 1982, information wasn’t nearly as easy to find as it is today, and I had to rely on old copies of QST donated to a young ham by helpful Elmers. It wasn’t easy, but I eventually became proficient in contests, and as I got more settled in life I built a decent home contest station that is comfortable and productive.
Someone starting out in radio contesting today has the advantage of instant access to a world of information — from the truly awesome ARRL Contest Update and National Contest Journal to Contest University.
With Zone Zero, I want to help the new or casual contester figure things out and maybe even spark renewed enthusiasm for more experienced contesters by looking at the upcoming events. Along the way, we’ll explore the big and little things that make being a contest operator so much fun.
I’m no big gun — not by any stretch of the imagination — but I sure love to get into a weekend contest and see if I can beat my previous best efforts. That’s the perspective taken in the podcast. Simple, plain-language thoughts about what’s coming up on the calendar, and what we can learn from previous contests and the world of info available to us.
With more than 1,000 contests in the log, there’s a fair bit of experience to draw from as we look at the annual contest calendar, week by week.
Check out Zone Zero episodes, and be sure to subscribe if you’d like to keep up to date as new episodes are published.