One of the best ways to improve the skills of any craft or occupation is to learn from the masters that have gone before, to study their accomplishments and actions, and see if a little of their technique won't rub off on you. The same applies to Contesting, which is a craft that, though easy enough to get started with, takes many years to perfect. A place on a major contest team, in one of the Multi-Multis, can teach you a lot of the skills that are required. Likewise, a chance to help your local club or group can be a valuable learning experience, but the fact remains that not all of us are able to join with these more experienced operators. Therefore, I have included this section as a help to the majority of us who must learn from books, the Internet, and our own experience.

The CQ Contest Reflector is an email group open to all who are interested in Amateur Radio Contesting, and if you are not already a member, I would suggest that you join straight away, as there is much to be learned in the discussions that take place there. From time to time, the 'Big Gun' contesters will post an account of their contest experiences, and though these are available in the CQ Contest archives, they can be difficult to locate, so, with the author's permission, I have re-posted them to this website, where they can be easily accessed.

Accounts currently available are:

• K5ZD, operating in the CQ World Wide CW Contest, 2000.
• KI1G, operating in the ARRL DX CW Contest, 2001.
• KM1P, operating at K1KI in the ARRL DX Phone Contest, 2001.
• LZ8T, operating in the CQ World Wide 160m CW Contest, 2001.
• N2IC, operating in the CQ World Wide CW Contest, 2000.
• N2NL, operating at K4XS in the ARRL DX CW Contest, 2001.
• N3BB, operating in the CQ World Wide 160m CW Contest, 2001.
• W4PA, operating at K5ZD in the ARRL DX CW Contest, 2001.

For other stories, collected on the Contesting.com Website, visit Here.