Every year many of the top QRP radio operators and builders come together in a variety of contests to test each other’s QRP radio abilities. QRP contests are held for a variety of different things, from which homebrew transceiver looks the coolest to which homebrew transceiver can transfer the farthest using the least amount of power. These types of contests are not only a great way to see what other QRP aficionados are up to they are also a great way to judge yourself based on the skills and knowledge available. If you are a member of a QRP club chances are that at some point or another you will have some sort of club sponsored contest in which members of the club compete with one another in some sort of fashion.

In addition to local club sponsored contests there are also national contests that draw the most experienced QRP operators from around the world. In addition to club hosted events there are also a series of national QRP contests that draw the best and brightest QRP operators from around the country and around the world. Some of the contests are really just casual get- togethers with some sort of fun theme, such as an antique QRP equipment theme or a quirky homebrew theme. Many of these contests that are actually held at a physical location instead of on the air waves take on a sort of convention feel as people from all over pour in to see what is taking place. When you enter a QRP contest you need to pay close attention to the specifics regarding the contest because many contests that involve broadcasting will require you to use a certain band and mode of communication in order to compete and others may have a few rules that you are not familiar with. The type of equipment that you use is also dictated by the rules and regulations of many contests. In most cases the bigger the contest the more rules and regulations there are for an operator to follow.

One of the most popular contests, know globally as contesting, requires that each amateur radio operator contact as many other amateur radio operators as they can within a certain amount of time. Users are generally required to exchange information so that verification of the contact can be made. The participants of this type of QRP contest are generally scored on how many different people they can contact and how accurate their information is. Obviously when swapping information with multiple people in a specific amount of time it helps to have a strong and clear signal and this is one of the main reasons why these types of QRP contests are so popular. They require QRP operators to use both their equipment and their skill as an operator in order to contact other participants, trade information and ultimately earn points. While contesting with high powered radios tends to allow users to participate from their homes some contests involving QRP radios may require participants to travel, depending on the regulations set for the contest.

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