# January Morse Code Contest Results

What an amazing turnout for our **January Morse Code contest**! We had 45 participants competing across three categories.

## Contest Overview

- **Date**: January 25th, 2025
- **Duration**: 2 hours
- **Participants**: 45 operators
- **Categories**: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

## Winners by Category

### Beginner Category (0-6 months experience)
1. **ZL1XYZ** - 127 correct characters/minute
2. **ZL1ABC** - 115 correct characters/minute
3. **ZL1DEF** - 108 correct characters/minute

### Intermediate Category (6-24 months experience)
1. **ZL1GHI** - 185 correct characters/minute
2. **ZL1JKL** - 172 correct characters/minute
3. **ZL1MNO** - 168 correct characters/minute

### Advanced Category (2+ years experience)
1. **ZL1PQR** - 245 correct characters/minute
2. **ZL1STU** - 238 correct characters/minute
3. **ZL1VWX** - 231 correct characters/minute

## Special Awards

### Most Improved
**ZL1YZA** - Improved from 45 to 89 characters/minute in just 3 months!

### Best Newcomer
**ZL1BCD** - First contest participation with impressive 95 characters/minute

### Sportsmanship Award
**ZL1EFG** - Helped multiple beginners during practice sessions

## Contest Highlights

### Technical Achievements
- **Zero errors** achieved by 12 participants
- **Perfect copy** maintained for 30+ minutes by 8 operators
- **New club record** set by ZL1PQR

### Community Spirit
- **Mentoring sessions** before the contest
- **Practice nets** organized by experienced members
- **Equipment sharing** among participants

## Next Contest

Our **February contest** will focus on **Q-codes and pro-signals**:
- **Date**: February 22nd, 2025
- **Time**: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
- **Registration**: Opens February 1st

## Training Resources

For those looking to improve their Morse code skills:

### Practice Schedule
- **Monday**: Beginner practice (7:00 PM)
- **Wednesday**: Intermediate practice (7:30 PM)
- **Friday**: Advanced practice (8:00 PM)

### Online Resources
- **Club website**: Practice files and recordings
- **YouTube channel**: Training videos
- **Discord server**: Real-time practice sessions

Congratulations to all participants and thank you to our contest organizers!