so im pretty new, got my general last spring and ive been mostly just doing ragchews on 40m and some digital stuff on FT8. but a buddy at the club keeps telling me i need to try contesting and honestly the more i read about it the more curious i get. problem is there are SO many of them and i dont really know where to start or which ones are friendly to newer ops.

ive heard of CQ WW obviously, everyone seems to do that one, and ARRL Field Day which i think is coming up again next summer? also been reading a bit about SOTA which i know isnt technically a contest but people talk about it in the same breath sometimes. anyway i guess my question is just — if you had to pick one big event to do as your first real contest experience what would it be and why. i have a modest station, just a 100w rig and a dipole up about 30 feet, nothing fancy.

Field Day is honestly the perfect first one imo. the whole vibe is different from like a serious cutthroat contest — most clubs are super welcoming and you can just show up, sit down at a station, and start making contacts with someone nearby who can help you out if you get confused. you dont have to run your own station at all. ive brought total beginners to our club FD setup and by the end of the weekend theyre hooked. plus its in late June so you got time to prep.

CQ WW is great but it can be a bit overwhelming your first time if youre running solo — the pile-ups get intense and the exchange is simple enough (zone number and signal report) but the pace is just relentless on a busy weekend. might be better as your second or third contest once you know what youre doing. still, even just sitting and listening to CQ WW for a few hours teaches you a ton about how contest operating actually sounds.

SOTA is a whole different animal, more like a hiking + radio combo, which i personally love but its not really the same thing as contesting. worth doing separately, great fun.

yeah what he said about Field Day is true, its very beginner friendly. i did my first one two years ago and didnt really know what i was doing but people at the club just kind of walked me through it. made like 40 contacts over the whole weekend which doesnt sound like much but i was pretty proud of it lol

one thing i'll add — look up the Sweepstakes too, the ARRL one. its a US/Canada only contest so the exchanges are a bit more involved but you dont have to worry about like chasing DX stations in weird timezones if thats not your thing yet. some people find it more manageable than CQ WW for that reason.