ON contest 2026

 

I won the ON Contest, both in SSB and CW. The last time I managed this double victory was back in 2005, so nobody can accuse me of taking the fun away from others.

And yet, it feels strange. Winning was never my intention. Not in the SSB section, where I suddenly found myself with a QSO lead, much to my surprise, and certainly not in the CW section.
There, I was second in the claimed scores list and had already stopped operating 20 minutes before the end (which is quite a lot in a contest lasting just four hours).

The final result was truly surprising, and the top three were so close that it all came down to a single QSO. What makes me happiest, though, is the empty UBN file for the CW section. Not a single mistake — that's what clean contesting is all about!

A trend has emerged in the ON Contest that leaves me with mixed feelings.

For years, there was too little interest, so the decision was made to add the 40m band in an attempt to generate more enthusiasm and activity. And indeed, even this year, I had periods in CW when nobody came back to my calls for ten minutes straight. That is frustrating.

On the positive side, quite a few members of Contest Club Belgium, myself included, took part. We need to put this new virtual UBA section on the national map, and what better way to do that than by taking part in local contests? This also helps raise the overall standard of the contest itself.

However, the aim cannot be for more experienced contesters to walk away with all the prizes. The ON Contest is meant to be a local competition that serves as a stepping stone towards the UBA contests in winter, which in turn prepare operators for the major international contests.

Rookies need to feel motivated and confident enough to get on the air and take part in the ON Contest. They also need to have a realistic chance of achieving good results.

For that reason, it might be worth considering a 100W power limit for everyone. In addition, more attention should be given to newcomers taking their first steps in CW. An award for the best newcomer, for example, could be a good idea.

Perhaps this would encourage more of the UBA's 37 sections out of a total of 80 to be represented in the contest.