Any ham who has been fortunate enough to attend Contest University will pretty much tell you the same story—this is an event not to be missed if you want to boost your scores and move up in the amateur radio contest rankings.
Imagine learning from Mike Trout how to take a down-and-in slider the opposite way with runners in scoring position, or gleaning the finer points of deking a goalie from Wayne Gretzky, or getting the 411 from Tiger Woods on how to strike a ball nestled under the lip of a bunker. That’s the level of insights hams have received from the accomplished operators who have shared their radiosport experiences and wisdom since the first Contest University. And this year’s lineup of amateur radio professors promises more of the same. After a couple of years of virtual presentations, we’re thrilled to present this year’s seminar in person!
Registration is open for 2022 Contest University, Thursday, May 19, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hope Hotel in Dayton, Ohio—one day before Dayton Hamvention®. Click here for the online registration and payment form.
The details:
- Registration fee is $85 (extra $10 discount available; see online registration form for details).
- You may pay online with your credit/debit card, or via PayPal.
- You will receive a Registration Confirmation from us. This email will be your ticket. Print the Registration Confirmation email and bring it with you to the Contest University Registration Desk on Thursday morning.
- No sign-ups at the door
- No refunds or cancellations
- Scholarships available for those 25 years old or younger. Contact us for details.
- Contact the hotel ASAP for Hamvention rate for Wednesday night. Lodging space is limited.
Registration fee includes:
- Full day of training and knowledge enhancement
- Wednesday night pizza party
- Thursday breakfast buffet and boxed lunch
- Coffee all day
- Printed textbook and class notes, plus access to color slide decks
- Handouts, DX Engineering catalogs, and CTU carrying bag
- Personalized “Certificate of Completion” (suitable for framing!)
Here is the list of scheduled speakers and topics. Please note that attendees will be able to choose from several topic presentations and discussion groups running simultaneously at designated times. To plan out your day at Contest University, visit the 2022 Course Outline for presentation times and Professor Bios:
- Inside vs. Outside, How to Enjoy Contesting, Dave McCarty, K5GN
- Easy-to-Build Low Band Receiving Antennas for Small and Large Lots, Frank Donovan, W3LPL
- Contesting 101, Operating, Doug Grant, K1DG
- The Advantages of Waterfall Displays for Contesting and DXing, Bob Wilson, N6TV
- Digital Contesting, RTTY and FT8/FT4, Ed Muns, W0YK
- How to Improve Your Transmitting Antennas for Solar Cycle 25, Frank Donovan, W3LPL
- Grounding and Bonding for Your HF Contest Station, Ward Silver, N0AX
- Operating Mechanics, The X Factor in Contesting Success, Pat Barkey, N9RV
- Upping Your Digital Contesting Game, Ed Muns, W0YK
- Preparing Your Station for Competition, Frank Donovan, W3LPL
- Field Measurements and Comparison of Low Band Receive Arrays, Joel Harrison, W5ZN
- Everything You Want to Know about USB and Serial Interfaces, Bob Wilson, N6TV
- Perspectives on 45 Years of Contest Station Building, Pat Barkey, N9RV
- Grounding, Bonding and RF (Open Q & A Discussion), Ward Silver, N0AX
- Waterfalls, Ports, and the Reverse Beacon Network (Open Q & A Discussion), Bob Wilson, N6TV
- Youth in Contesting (Open Q & A Discussion), Marty Sullaway, NN1C
- Tower Climbing and Tower Safety (Open Q & A Discussion), Tim Jellison, W3YQ
- Stations and Antennas (Open Q & A Discussion), Frank Donovan, W3LPL
- Digital and RTTY Contesting (Open Q & A Discussion), Ed Muns, W0YK
- Remote Operating Projects (Open Q & A Discussion), Marty Sullaway, NN1C
- Your Roadmap to Radiosport Improvement (Open Q & A Discussion), Doug Grant, K1DG & Pat Barkey, N9RV
- Transceiver Performance for the HF Contest and DX Operator, Rob Sherwood, NC0B
Also, enjoy these activities during “Contest Lunch”:
- Doug Grant, K1DG, 2022 Eyeball Sprint Contest “LIVE”
- Ray Novak, N9JA from Icom America
- Teamwork and Multi-Operator Innovations, Tim Coker, N6WIN
Once you’ve upgraded your contesting acumen, check out DXEngineering.com for everything you need to upgrade your station to stay competitive, including base transceivers, antennas, coaxial cable, contesting devices (DX Engineering RXSHARE Audio Switch, SotaBeams’ Contest Console Switching Unit for Icom), amplifiers, headsets, ARRL’s Radio Contesting for Beginners, past Contest University Textbooks, and much more.
