Chasing ZS Signals – My First HF Digital Contest

Sunday, 10 August 2025, will be a day I remember for a long time. It was the day I jumped into my very first SARL HF digital competition — an FT8 event dedicated to working ZS-only stations on the 40 m, 20 m, and 80 m bands.

I knew going in that 80 m wasn’t an option for me. My home antenna covers 40 m through 10 m, but adding the extension for 80 m would require more real estate than my backyard could possibly offer. So my plan was simple: stick to 40 m and 20 m, and make the most of the two hours.

The contest kicked off at 15:00 local time (13:00 UTC). 40 m is usually lively at that time of day and only starts to fade after 17:30, so I knew conditions were on my side. I fired up WSJT-X, set the rig to 40 m, and was immediately greeted by something unusual — the waterfall lit up with ZS stations everywhere.

Since starting with FT8 in mid-May this year, I’ve rarely seen so many local stations using the mode at once. It was electric. I jumped right in, sending my first CQ and quickly getting replies. One after another, the QSOs rolled in. By the end of the session, I had logged 28 contacts — an overwhelming 27 of them on 40 m, and just one lone entry from 20 m. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one who favored 40 m that afternoon.

When the dust settled, I sent off my log on Tuesday, 12 August, and got confirmation of receipt the next day. Now comes the hardest part — waiting for the results. Whatever the outcome, I’m thrilled to have taken part and am looking forward to hanging my first HF digital contest certificate on the shack wall.

It’s safe to say this won’t be my last contest. I’ll share the final results here as soon as they’re in.

2025-09-18 : I came in 16th in the Single Operator Multi-Band category and 17th overall, baring in mind that I missed the 1st leg of the contest in the beginning of the year.