It’s becoming increasingly clear that the amateur radio bands only seem to come alive when there’s a contest on.

Have our daily lives become so busy that contest weekends are the only time we can squeeze in a quick DX fix? Or are newer hams simply more comfortable giving a 5/9 report than having a proper QSO? Maybe it’s the rise of FT8 and other digital modes taking the spotlight?

As a long-time DX hunter, I’ve noticed a major change over my 20 years in the hobby — the bands are noticeably quieter outside contest periods. Yet the moment a contest appears on the calendar, everything lights up again. Take this weekend’s CQ WW SSB contest, for example — activity has already picked up before it’s even begun. Yesterday I heard D4W at a solid 5/9, and I can’t help but think that without the contest, many operators wouldn’t have even realized that 10 metres was open to that part of the world.

It makes me wonder: are we relying too much on contests to “test” our stations rather than simply enjoying the art of making contact? There was a time when tuning across 20 metres on a weekday evening meant hearing conversations, ragchews, and a bit of friendly DX chatter. Now, you can call CQ for half an hour and barely stir a whisper.

Of course, the world has changed. Digital modes have made it possible to log DX from a laptop with minimal effort — and there’s nothing wrong with that. FT8 has its place, especially for those with limited time, space, or power. But there’s still something special about hearing a distant station through the noise, calling back, and exchanging a few genuine words over the airwaves. That’s the magic that got most of us hooked in the first place.

Maybe it’s time to bring back a bit of that everyday activity — to spin the dial, call CQ, and remind each other that the bands aren’t just for contest weekends. Whether it’s a quick hello, a ragchew, or a bit of DX hunting, the more we use the bands, the more alive they become. After all, propagation doesn’t care if it’s a contest weekend or a quiet Tuesday afternoon — it’s up to us to make some noise.