Visalia Contest Academy 2015

A cornucopia of contest content!

By Don K6GHA and Tom KW6S.

Once a year in April, international contesters and DXers converge on Visalia California for two full days of tribal knowledge exchange unlike any other event in the world. This year’s 66th International DX Convention has concluded, and if you were there, you really enjoyed some excellent presentations, a super showcase of products, and a social experience which can only be described as energizing.

visalia-pie-chartAs part of this event, the NCDXC and NCCC sponsored ten sessions diving into all aspects of contesting called the “Contest Academy.” We were honored to have had world class presenters offering advice for novices and experts alike. Talks ranged from beginning contesting, terrain analysis, hardware and software efficiencies, and a live session to test your contest skills. We would like to thank the following presenter’s for their contribution:

Bob K6XX, Tom ND2T, Tom K5RC, Dean N6BV, Andrew W7VJ, John K6MM, Bob N6TV, Kevin K6TD, Kurt W6PH, Hank W6SX, and Jeff WK6I.

With over 190 registered guests, and ~50 people attending per each of the ten Contest Academy (CA) sessions, this year’s event was a smashing success.

With the entry fee for Friday’s Contest Academy, you were granted access to the DX University (DXU) sessions! Concurrently running against the Contest Academy, there were tough decisions on which presentation to attend, from the entire offerings. The successful DXU sessions were coordinated by Darryl K7UT and Wayne N7NG.

At this point, if you are feeling like you really missed something special, you did! With over 190 registered attendees, the information shared generated comments like: “Great. I wish I could have done them both!”, “Great instructors, great information,” “Good job, keep doing it,” and a request for “More time needed for each session, there is a lot of great info here.”

So, how can you catch up and get ready for next year? Download the slides and see what you missed!

Contest Academy: http://ncdxc.org/presentations/2015/idxc2015-ca.zip (zip download)

DX University: http://www.dxuniversity.com/classroom/session.php?crid=29 (web page)

visalia-2015-panel-largeThe Contest Academy ended on a high note by binging back some of the presenters, adding in some luminaries, and having a great rag chew, where the audience could ask the Contest Wizards. And ask they did! Since there was no recording of the session, you will just have to imagine a solid, nonstop, pile-up of super questions from the attending audience. It is a great reason to attend. So, download and review the slides, set your calendars for the 67th IDXC in Visalia in April 2016, and participate in a jam packed, fast paced, leaning experience at next year’s Contest Academy!