Inside Contest University with Tim Duffy K3LR

Tim Duffy is a name that needs no preamble in the ham radio world—but here’s one anyway. The CEO of DX Engineering and a multi-multi contesting heavyweight, Tim is also the founder of Contest University, an idea launched in 2007 that has since grown into one of ham radio’s premier knowledge-sharing events. Held the Thursday before Dayton Hamvention, CTU draws contesters from across the globe—newcomers, seasoned ops, and the simply curious—for a full day of learning, connection, and camaraderie.

In this conversation, Tim traces CTU’s roots to early contesting meetups in New England living rooms and the Potomac Valley Radio Club’s one-day seminars—then explains how he brought the idea to Dayton and turned it into a global model. He previews this year’s standout speakers, including W3LPL, NC0B, KE8LQR, and Dr. Tamitha Skov WX6SWW. From propagation to ethics, mobile ops to remote contesting, there’s something for everyone—and maybe more than one late-night pizza party in the mix.

Seats are still available for the May 15th event at the Hope Hotel in Ohio. Don’t miss it.

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