so ive been licensed about 8 months now and people keep telling me i should try a contest but honestly the whole thing is a bit overwhelming to figure out where to even start. like i get the basic idea, you make contacts and log points, but which one do you actually start with as a newer guy?

i was looking at CQ WW which sounds huge and exciting but then someone at the club mentioned Field Day might be more beginner friendly since its more of a group thing and you can just sit next to someone who knows what theyre doing. i also heard about SOTA which isnt really a contest but kind of has a points system? someone was telling me about activating summits and i honestly had no idea that was a thing but it sounds really cool if you like hiking.

anyway im just trying to figure out what makes sense. i have a basic HF setup at home, nothing fancy, and i can probably get on for most of a weekend if the timing works out. are there any other contests coming up that would be good for a first timer or should i just wait for Field Day in june and do that with the club first before trying anything solo

Field Day is definitely the move for your first one, no question. the whole point of it is to be a club event and its totally normal to just sit down next to an experienced op and watch for a while before you take the mic. nobody is going to judge you and honestly most clubs are thrilled when newer hams show up because it keeps things going. plus you learn SO much just by watching how someone works a pileup or calls CQ repeatedly without losing their mind.

CQ WW is great but it can be kind of brutal if you dont know what youre doing yet, the rates get really high and the logging gets stressful. SOTA is its own thing entirely and yeah its not really a contest in the traditional sense, more like an awards program for activating summits. but its addictive, fair warning. i know guys who got into SOTA and basically stopped doing traditional contesting altogether because they'd rather be on a mountain than in a shack.

if you want something before Field Day there's usually some state QSO parties in the spring that are pretty low key and good practice. look up what state parties are coming up on the contest calendar at contestcalendar.com and just pick one, throw out some calls and see what happens. worst case you make a few contacts and learn how exchange works without the pressure of a huge international event.

yeah what he said about Field Day. i did my first one two years ago with basically no idea what i was doing and it was fine, people were super patient. just show up and tell someone its your first time and they'll set you up.

SOTA is completley different vibe though and honestly if you like being outside its worth looking into separate from the contesting stuff. you dont need much either, i started with just a little QRP rig and a wire antenna and it works suprisingly well from a hilltop.