Date: September 2024
Amount: $5,000

Contest University Inc. (CTU) is a nonprofit organization established in 2007, dedicated to educating amateur radio operators of all experience levels about radiosport. Its flagship event, the annual Contest University, occurs each May alongside the Dayton Hamvention and features presentations from top operators, unique educational materials, interactive activities, and networking opportunities. With a mission to enhance the skills of ham contesters, CTU has trained over 10,000 participants to date.

Contest University aims to enhance its educational events by purchasing dedicated presentation technology, including laptops and microphones. Currently, reliance on volunteer-provided equipment often leads to technical issues that disrupt presentations and diminish the participant experience. By investing in dedicated equipment, CTU seeks to create a seamless and professional learning environment for world-renowned experts to share their knowledge without interruptions.

Learn more at https://www.contestuniversity.com/.

Update

Amateur radio contesting (also known as “radiosport”) allows participants to compete by making contacts in various modes and parameters. Contest University Inc. used an ARDC grant to significantly strengthen the technical infrastructure supporting Contest University (CTU), which was a full-day educational program held during the 2025 Dayton Hamvention. CTU serves operators of all experience levels through contesting particulars, by use of presentations, hands-on instruction, and technical discussions led by experienced contesters and operators.

Prior to the grant, when CTU team members and instructors used their own laptops to lead sessions, there had been many technical issues, including compatibility and display problems. The ARDC grant money allowed CTU to purchase and then configure standard laptops and peripherals (six laptops, cases, microphones, etc.) to attempt to eliminate unnecessary bottlenecks and allow the training to proceed in a unified and interruption-free manner. The equipment was purchased, and then staged and tested prior to Hamvention.

There were approximately 300 in-person CTU attendees during 2025’s Hamvention. The day’s curriculum included contest fundamentals, antenna design, interfaces, HF propagation, ways to maximize performance, and digital modes such as FT8 and FT4. It also featured a talk by a teenage CW operator, Q&A sessions, and an “Eyeball Sprint” demonstration that required seamless video and audio integrations. There were no AV dropouts or issues and the sessions all went as planned without interruptions.

Additionally, the sessions were livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube, extending the reach of the program to a broader audience. The livestreams also suffered no dropouts or issues. As of mid-2026, recordings on YouTube have received more than 6,300 views, allowing others to view the informative sessions. The investment will continue to benefit similar future events. CTU expects the equipment to support thousands of additional amateur radio operators through improved instruction, higher-quality livestreams, and reliable delivery in future programs.