ARRL 10 Meter

Last weekend, I had the chance to participate in the ARRL 10-Meter Contest, and I wanted to share a bit about my experience. Over the course of three hours on Saturday afternoon, I managed to make 19 contacts. While all of them were through hunting (since calling CQ didn’t yield any responses), I still had a fantastic time.

For the last hour or so, my 6-year-old son joined in the fun. He helped me listen for contacts and even took over scanning the frequencies while I stepped away to get my daughter up from her rest. He understands that he’s not allowed to talk on the radio without me, but he was thrilled to find someone calling. He came running to excitedly let me know he’d found a clear signal — it was a proud and memorable moment to share the hobby with him.

This time, I powered my radio using a modified HP server power supply, which I had set to deliver 12.5 VDC at about 65 amps. This setup seemed to make my radio much happier and improved its power output compared to the battery setup I’ve used in the past.

For my antenna, I used a home-brewed dipole strung between two trees, running north to south at about 16 feet above the ground. The antenna performed admirably with an SWR around 1.1 to 1.2.

The highlight of the contest was the diversity of my contacts. I managed to reach stations as far as the Canary Islands and Washington State, and from Trinidad and Tobago up to Prince Edward Island. It was exhilarating to connect with such distant locations on 10 meters.

Overall, the contest was a wonderful blend of personal challenge, family involvement, and technical experimentation. I’m already looking forward to the next one and hope to make even more connections next time. If you’re considering jumping into a contest, I highly recommend it — there’s nothing quite like the thrill of making those long-distance contacts and sharing the excitement with your family.

73s!