Zone Zero podcast

Let’s take a look at February and a jam-packed roster of radio contests. There’s something for everyone this month – whether you’re a CW or RTTY lover, prefer phone contests or the newer digital modes like FT4.

As long as sunspots remain rare, these years of quiet solar activity are the heydays for 160M (that’s 1.8 Mhz -- also fondly known as the Top Band). You’ll have a ton of fun enjoying good DX through the night. If you’re keen to see what you can work on Top Band, this episode is for you.

With two of the biggest contests of the year coming up in February, will the HF bands hold up well enough to enjoy? We’ll take a look in Episode 24 of Zone Zero.

The 2018 CQ Worldwide CW contest is coming to a radio near you on the November 24 and 25 weekend.

There are lots of ways being a contester can raise your blood pressure -- and so many ways it can relieve your stress, too. That, plus a look ahead at CQ Worldwide SSB and CW this time out.

High summer is time to relax in the sun, read back-issues of your ham magazines, or comb through catalogs and websites to contemplate new gear for the shack, maybe a new antenna or coax. Let’s get going with Episode 21 – the summer potpourri edition of Zone Zero.

Online, real-time contest score reporting tools are the focus in Episode 20 of Zone Zero.

We’re back in the saddle and ready to look at 2018 through a whole new lens. Literally. I’m seeing like a kid and ready to hit the air again.

We close out 2017 with the final episode of the Zone Zero podcast.

Let's take a look at the ARRL 160M contest weekend just behind us -- conditions were pretty good, but depending on where you are located the difference-maker was how much access you had to DX contacts.

The CQWW CW contest ended on Sunday afternoon. This is a short episode recapping what may be the biggest contest of the year.

For my money, the CQ Worldwide DX CW contest is the biggest, best and most fun contest of the year. If you operate Morse code and want to work a ton of DX in a single weekend, get on the air and join the fun.