CONTESTING
April traditionally is the month for rain showers in North America, but also one for a respite after a hectic contest season. It also heralds the beginning of antenna repair and improvement season for many contesters.
Contest operating slows down and becomes less intense in April as days warm and propagation conditions begin their annual transition from winter to summer. Competitors in the Northern Hemisphere begin spending less operating time on the low bands and more on the high bands. The next major contest is the CQ World Wide WPX CW weekend at the end of May. As intense weekend contesting wanes, competitors venture outside their shacks to check their antennas and to socialize at major venues where contesters gather.
Visalia is one such large gathering, and this year the convention is being held on the weekend of April 24-26th. The schedule and related information has been posted at <www.dxconvention.org/index.html>.
The largest ham social event, the Dayton Hamvention®, boasts plenty of contest-related activities. It will be held on May 15-17. Several days earlier, contesters will kick off activities with their first gathering at the Contest Super Suite at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Dayton on Wednesday evening, May 13. The day-long Contest University opens the next morning, May 14, also at the Crowne Plaza. The full panoply of Dayton contest activities were discussed in last month’s column. Updates can be viewed at <>.
