If you passed your Foundation exam recently and have been wondering what to do with that shiny new callsign, this weekend offers a gentle answer: listen to a contest. The RSGB VHF 144MHz CW Marconi Contest runs from 1400 UTC today, Saturday 7 November, until 1400 UTC tomorrow, and the 2 metre band is about to get busier than usual. You do not need to be a Morse expert to learn something from it, and the contest sits within a whole winter of friendly VHF activity that suits Foundation licence holders very well.

What is a contest, and why should a beginner care?

A contest is simply a time-limited event where stations try to make as many contacts as they can, swapping a short, fixed bundle of information each time. That bundle is called the exchange. For the Marconi contest it is a signal report, a serial number and your locator, a short code that tells the other station roughly where you are in the world.

The beauty for newcomers is that everyone is following the same script. You hear the same pattern again and again, so contests are one of the quickest ways to learn how real on-air procedure sounds, without the pressure of working out what to say next.

Can a Foundation licence holder join in?

Yes, with a few sensible caveats. The Foundation licence gives you access to the 144MHz (2 metre) band, with a maximum power of 10 watts, and you can use a range of modes including CW, SSB, FM and data. That means this weekend’s Marconi contest is open to you in principle, although it is a CW event, so you will find it much quieter on FM and SSB.

If Morse is not yet your thing, do not worry. Listening to CW on 2 metres is a lovely, low-stakes way to hear how slow, deliberate operators handle weak signals. Many of us learnt our first few Morse characters this way, simply by recognising the rhythm of a callsign.

The weekly VHF activity contests

Once the weekend is over, the RSGB’s regular VHF Activity Contests are the place to build confidence. This week alone there were several 144MHz sessions, and they follow a pattern that repeats through the winter:

• The 144MHz FM Activity Contest on Tuesday evenings runs for under an hour, using ordinary FM with a signal report, serial number and locator.
• The VHF UK Activity Contest follows straight after on 144MHz, open to all modes and a little longer.
• The 144MHz FT8 Activity Contests on Wednesday evenings use a digital mode where you only need to exchange a signal report and locator, and the software does the heavy lifting.

The FM session is arguably the friendliest starting point. A handheld and a decent antenna can work wonders, particularly if you can get up high, and the short duration means you can dip in for twenty minutes after tea and still feel you have taken part.

Practical tips for your first go

• Listen first. Spend your first evening just tuning around and noting how the exchange is given. Nobody minds a quiet listener.
• Know your locator. Look up your six-character locator beforehand and write it somewhere you can read easily in the dark.
• Keep within your licence. Stay at or below 10 watts and remember your band limits. Contests are no excuse to stray.
• Keep a simple log. Even a notebook will do. Writing down callsigns and reports builds good habits for later.
• Use the right callsign procedure. Give your callsign clearly, using the phonetic alphabet, and do not rush.

Why autumn and winter are the best time to start

Dark evenings suit amateur radio rather well. There is plenty of activity after work, the weather keeps us indoors with the radio on, and the sheer volume of events means there is always something to try. If you read my recent posts on the UKEICC contests and the experimental 146 to 147MHz extension, you will know that the RSGB calendar is packed from now until spring. The VHF activity series is the most approachable corner of it for a Foundation licence holder.

You can find the full list of upcoming events in the RSGB’s weekly contest news at rsgb.org. Check the rules for each event before you take part, as exchanges and times do change.

Dip a toe in this week

You do not have to make a single contact to benefit. Tune your 2 metre rig or handheld around 144MHz this evening, listen to how the Marconi stations pass information, and make a note of anything that puzzles you. Then pick Tuesday’s FM session as your first proper attempt. The first contact is always the hardest, and after that it gets addictive very quickly.

73 de M0LGI