so i got my general back in march and ive been mostly just ragchewing on 40m and doing some APRS stuff but everyone keeps telling me i need to try a contest before the year is out. problem is theres like a million of them and i dont really know which ones are good for someone who's newer or what the difference even is between like CQ WW and ARRL sweepstakes or whatever.

i did one Field Day with my club last june which was a blast honestly, we set up in a park and i made probably 40 contacts which felt like a lot at the time but i was watching the more experienced guys racking up hundreds and i couldnt figure out how they were doing it so fast. someone mentioned SOTA too but that seems like its more about hiking than radio? im not sure.

anyway the CQ WW SSB is coming up at the end of october i think, is that a good one to try solo from home or should i wait and do something easier first. i just have a 100w rig and a dipole up about 30 feet so nothing fancy.

CQ WW is honestly a great one to just jump into even with a modest station, dont let the scores of the big guns intimidate you. with a dipole and 100 watts youll still work a ton of DX especially if conditions cooperate, and late october on 20 and 15 can be really good. the exchange is super simple too, just signal report and CQ zone, youll have it memorized after like five QSOs.

the way those guys are going so fast at field day is mostly just practice and knowing when to call vs when to hunt - running a frequency vs search and pounce. for your first solo contest id say just do S&P the whole time, find stations calling CQ, give your call, log the exchange and move on. you dont have to run a frequency if that feels overwhelming. after a few hours it clicks and you start moving faster naturally.

SOTA is its own thing yeah, its an awards program where you activate summits, totally different vibe but a lot of people love it. some folks chase SOTA contacts during contests too which is kinda fun.

yeah field day got me hooked too, theres something about operating in a group that makes it way less intimidating. CQ WW is huge but honestly that just means theres always someone to work, ive had good luck even with my little setup. just go in with zero expectations and youll have fun.