I competed in the CQ WPX SSB contest during the last weekend of March 2025. This was my first time running an international contest by myself (I have previously run regional and international contests as multi-op).
This was also my first time contesting with my Yaesu FT-710. My final count was 208 QSOs on 10m, 15m, 20m, and 40m. I was able to work all continents as well. My antenna was an 80m EFHW in my backyard with my newly built common mode choke.
Below is a map of my contest log. I was impressed with the propagation of my antenna, especially considering that it is in a fixed orientation.
I have to say that contesting with a 100W radio (as compared to my 10W Kenwood TS-120V) is a night and day difference. It’s a nice feeling being able to break through a pileup with an op on another continent.
My method was almost entirely Search & Pounce (rather than calling CQ). I was not able to utilize pre-recorded messages through N1MM this time around, but that is something I would like to set up for the future.
Contesting is definitely something that I enjoy, and I’m looking forward to doing more of it with my Yaesu.