so i got my general about 4 months ago and everyone keeps telling me to try a contest to really get comfortable operating and i figured CQ WW would be a good one to jump into since theres so much activity. but honestly i dont even know where to start. like i understand the exchange is signal report plus CQ zone but i keep second guessing myself on what zone im actually in and whether i need to send my full callsign every time or just the suffix after the first contact.

also is it worth even trying with my modest setup, its just a dipole up about 30 feet and a 100w radio, nothing fancy. i see some of these guys with stacked yagis and kilowatts and i feel like im just gonna be invisible. should i just search and pounce the whole time or is there a point where running a frequency makes sense for a newer operator

any tips would be really appreciated, i dont want to make a fool of myself on the air

oh man dont worry about the setup at all, ive worked CQ WW with a wire antenna and barefoot power plenty of times and had a blast. you're not gonna win the plaque category but that's not the point when you're starting out. the experience of just getting in there and making contacts is worth way more than your score on paper.

for your zone just look up the CQ zone map, theres a decent one on the CQ magazine website and once you know your number you'll have it memorized for every contest going forward. and yes send your full callsign every single time, no shortcuts, especially in a pileup situation where people are copying you partial. the S&P approach is honestly perfect for learning, you can take your time, listen to how the running stations do their exchanges, and build up a rhythm before you even think about trying to hold a frequency. just have fun with it, that's genuinely the whole point

yeah what he said about S&P. i did my first contest that way too and just kind of absorbed how it all worked by listening a lot before transmitting. one thing i'll add -- if you get really into contesting you might want to check out ARRL Field Day next summer too, its a totally different vibe, more of a group thing, clubs set up in parks and parking lots and its way more relaxed than CQ WW. i actually think Field Day is better for newer folks because someones usually around to answer questions in real time. also there's a SOTA activation happening near me this weekend if anyone's local to the PNW and wants to tag along, totally unrelated but figured id mention it