1. How many contests do you enter per year? 
                           
 1-5          55  44%   
 6-10         34  27%   
None          14  11%
11-15          9   7%   
16-20          7   6%   
21-30          3   2%   
More than 40   3   2%
31-40          1   1%    


2. What is your favorite major contest? 
                             
CQWW DX         29  23%   
FD              15  12%   
Other           13  10%
ARRL DX         12  10%   
SS               9   7%
ARRL 10M         8   6%   
CQ WPX           7   6%   
NA Sprint        7   6%
NAQP             4   3%   
IARU             3   2%   

Most popular Other answers - SKN, CW CH and ARRL 160M.


3. What is your favorite QRP contest?

Other                 35  28%   
ARS Spartan Sprints   15  12%   
Fox hunts             11   9%   
QRP ARCI Spr/Fall      9   7%   
QRP ARCI Sprints       8   6%   
MI QRP                 3   2%   
MI QRP Sprints         1   1%   

Most popular Other answers - CQC Summer/Winter QSO Parties and QRPTTF.


4. In your opinion which is the best state QSO Party besides your own state?
 
CA       28  22%   
PA       14  11%   
Other    14  11%
FL        9   7%   
MI        9   7%   
TX        6   5%
WI        5   4%
WA        3   2%
IL        3   2%   
TN        1   1%

Most popular Other answers - MD, DE, MN, OH, and VA.


5. What contesting software do you use most often?
 
Other               33  26%
CT                  19  15%   
TR                   9   7%
WriteLog             9   7%
N1MM                 9   7%   
NA                   4   3%   
GenLog               2   2%   
SD                   0   0%

Most popular Other answers - Win-eqf, AC Log, DXKeeper, MNQP,
N3FJP, and zlog.


6. What is the highest level you have ever won a contest in your category?
 
I haven't won (yet)          43  34%
ARRL Section                 15  12%   
ARRL Division                13  10%   
Country                      11   9%   
State, Prov, District, etc.   9   7%   
Worldwide                     8   6%   


7. What mode do you use most for contesting?
 
CW only         56  44%   
A mix of modes  35  28%
Phone only      10   8%   
Digital only     0   0%   


8. At what power level do you do most of your contesting?
 
5 watts or less (QRP)     76  36.71%   
More than 5 to 150 watts  63  30.43%   
More than 150 watts       59  28.50%


9. What category do you most often use?
 
SO                              76  60%
SO Assisted                      8   6%   
SO2R                             4   3%   
M/S                              4   3%   
Other                            3   2%
M/M                              2   2%   


10. Are you a member of a contest club?
 
No                   69  55%
Yes                  32  25%   

Clubs listed: CCO, WWYC, GMCC, PVRC, FRC, NBCC, MWA, NLRS, BCC,
MRRC, DTCC, SMC, GBCC, HHQCC, TCG, NCCC, NNYCC, REDA, CDA.


11. Why do you like contesting?
 
Get new DX, states, etc.       54  43%   
Improve as an operator         51  40%   
The challenge of competition   42  33%   
A test of my equipment         26  21%   
Other                          12  10%    

Most popular 'Other' responses: All of the above, and it's fun.


12. Where do you operate most contests from?
 
A dedicated contest club station   54  43%   
Another individual ham's station   51  40%   
Your own station                   42  33%   
Mobile                             26  21%   
Portable                           12  10%    
Other                               4   3%


13. Any other contest-related comments?

I work only CW for SS, both CW and SSB for the PAQP.
* * *
I really enjoy contests and don't concern myself with the fact
that I'm QRP - just go for it anyway!
* * *
I love to crack DX pile-ups using QRP & wire antenna to
show the big guns it takes skill and not just money or power!
* * *
I am mostly a low-key QRP contest op. I operate mostly CW
contests but occasionally enter a SSB test.
* * *
I find them fun to participate in. I think the QRP contests are
generally a little more low-key than the bigger contests. One
of the reasons I like the ARS Spartan Sprint is the simple
exchange, the honor system reporting, the laid-back fun you can
have (i.e.: giving a personal HI to some you work regularly
during the monthly SP's), and getting outside to have some fun.
I can't wait for FYBO, I hope to se you there! Cheers, Colin - N0YGY
* * *
Been contesting for 30+ years. Last 3 or 4 years have started
into mobile contesting.
* * *
I am in transition on some of these questions -- that I almost
always operated from my own station until a few years ago when
I decided to find a better location for a large antenna farm,
at which point I began neglecting maintenance on my own station
and operated at other people's stations instead. I will soon be
returning to operating mostly at my own station.
* * *
Although I have used loggers, I prefer to manually log when I
can. the benifit to the loggers is a speedier submittal time,
and less paperwork, but I do not like relying on the computer.
I can manually log faster than with a computer, it just takes
longer for organization after. I do a lot of portable work out
of a few different locations. I Live in a trailer court, wo I
cannot erect any major permanent structures, and I don't like
to give the neighbors more interferance than what I need, thus
why I go portable. Contesting for me is a way to learn
practices and CW better, to obtain more entities for the
different awards available, and to just have fun. I try to beat
my last years score more than anything. Contesting is fun.
* * *
Contesting covers 95% of my ham activity. I worked K3WWP ten
times on a total of four bands. These QSOs were all contest
QSOs. I am glad to see he never extended his callsign with "/QRP".
* * *
Most people think contests are for the "birds" but I do not. I
have sponsored the CA and Under 21 CW awards for CQWW for 14
years now. A little recognition and the forum for improvement
is very important.
* * *
I contest as an individual and with the local ham club. As an
individual I try to get new states, countries, etc. All with QRP
and CW. And it is fun. The local ham club is mildly competitive
using all modes, bands and less than 200 watts. The answers to
this survey reflect a mixture of these two. I hope you can make
sense of them.
* * *
contesters should keep a contest-free portion of a band on any
band - WARC bands are not enough.
* * *
I sure wish QRP contests wouldn't be scheduled at the same
time/date as RTTY contests (I wish RTTY operation in general
would not spread down into the CW segments of the bands - K3WWP's
response)
* * *
I operate barefoot with a "shorty" vertical. I favor 100 watt
contests that somewhat even the playing field.
* * *
All contesters will work QRP/p stations with a lot of effort
and ZEST! It used to be very frustating being a QRP/p
station....now 10 years later I get respect.... and love it
more than I ever thought possible.mike ve3rrq
* * *
Thanks for many contacts over the years John.
* * *
The less reward the better. Today's super-stations represent
a mania which frankly take the fun out of it.
* * *
See my contesting FAQ at www.qsl.net/zs1an/contesting_faq.html
:) Suggestions welcome!
* * *
I mostly like the QRP contests for their laid back approach at
my level of skill. The big ones are fun just to see what new
countries I can work.
* * *
Just "got my feet wet" in the ARRL cw dx test last month. Went
from 1 dx entity (VE) to 26, all on 15 meters with 15 watts and
indoor dipole. Great site, John. tnx es 73, John, KC2HTP
* * *
CW is a therapeutic activity for me. Contesting is just an
extension of that.
* * *
More people should try contests, especially the more laid-back,
less-daunting ones. In the world of CW QRP, there are a bunch
of fun events - get out there and give it a whirl! There's a
lot of help and encouragement available online for those who
aren't sure how to begin...