It’s official — I’ve entered the world of contesting! This weekend marks my very first time participating in a ham radio contest since I got licensed, and I went all in with the 2025 ARRL International Digital Contest. Operating as W2DIY from FN30 on Long Island, I competed in the Single Operator, One Radio, Low Power (SO1RLP) category, logging a total of 520 QSOs over the 24-hour contest window.
I ran digital-only modes (mostly FT8 and FT4) throughout the event, using World Radio League as my logging software. When the clock stopped ticking, I had a claimed score of 4,830 points based on 507 valid QSOs. Not too bad for my first time in a contest!
Here’s how the breakdown looked:
- Total QSOs: 520 (507 Valid)
- Claimed Score: 4,830 Points
- By Band: 262 on 20m, 161 on 15m, 97 on 40m
- By Mode: 325 FT8, 195 FT4
- Longest Contact: Three QSOs with VK3BDX in Australia — 10,422 miles away!
I submitted my log under the Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club. Seeing myself make contacts across the globe, and racking up QSO after QSO, was incredibly rewarding. It was fast-paced, sometimes a little chaotic, and sometimes a little slow — but always exciting. The kind of experience that pulls you in and makes you want to keep coming back for more.
On top of all that, I’m now just two states away from completing Worked All States — all I need now is Alaska and Hawaii, so if you’re from one of those places, please let me know when you will be on the air!
One thing’s for sure: this contest gave me a serious appreciation for the rhythm and strategy that comes with competitive ham radio. I’m already looking forward to the next one, but first, I’m excited to see how my score stacks up once the results come out.
73 and see you in the next pileup!