简体中文
EnglishWhat Discussion Categories Are Available on QRZ Forums?
Updated
QRZ Forums organizes ham radio discussion into topic-specific boards, each with its own posting rules. The categories below are the ones listed on the forum home page, along with what belongs in each and where the boundaries are. One important access note up front: the Online Swapmeet is not visible to logged-out visitors — you must be logged in to reach the Swapmeet Forums.
News and announcement categories
QRZ Newsroom
Articles of interest to radio amateurs around the world. This is a news-oriented board rather than a general chat area.
Amateur Radio News
Newsworthy articles about amateur radio. It is the busiest general news board on the list, with roughly 14,000 discussions and over 322,000 messages as of the page data.
General Announcements
Announcements of items relating to amateur radio of interest to all hams. The rule here is explicit: it is not for announcing special events, contests, and similar items — those have their own boards.
Videos, Podcasts, & Blogs
The board for blogs, podcasts, and videos. Posts placed in other forums that consist mostly of a video with little or no commentary in the original post are moved here regardless of content, so treat this as the intended home for media-first posts.
Operating activity categories
Special Events
Reserved only for actual special events. The page draws the line clearly: not SES call signs for contests or QSO parties, but genuine Special Events only. It is a small board — about 199 discussions and 741 messages.
Contests, DXpeditions, QSO Parties
Upcoming contests, DXpeditions, and QSO parties. Special events do not belong here; use the Special Events board instead. This is one of the larger activity boards, with roughly 16,600 discussions and 41,000+ messages.
Hamfest, Swapmeet, & Convention Calendar
Upcoming hamfests and conventions. Use this for scheduling and calendar-type announcements.
Hamfest Reports & Videos
User reviews of recent hamfests, including videos. This is the follow-up board to the calendar — what happened, rather than what is coming.
Community and personal categories
Trials and Errors – Ham Life with an Amateur
An article discussion hosted by Dave Jensen, W7DGJ. It functions as a column-comment board rather than a general discussion area.
Silent Keys / Friends Remembered
In memory of those who have passed. Roughly 10,900 discussions and 21,000+ messages.
Online Swapmeet
A virtual hamfest for buying and selling gear. Access requires login — the page states you must be logged in to access the Swapmeet Forums, so it will not appear to anonymous visitors.
Quick comparison
| Board | Purpose | Key restriction |
|---|---|---|
| QRZ Newsroom | Articles of interest to radio amateurs | News content, not general chat |
| Amateur Radio News | Newsworthy amateur radio articles | — |
| General Announcements | Announcements of interest to all hams | Not for special events or contests |
| Videos, Podcasts, & Blogs | Media and blog posts | Low-commentary video posts get moved here |
| Special Events | Actual special events only | Not for contest or QSO party SES call signs |
| Contests, DXpeditions, QSO Parties | Upcoming contests, DXpeditions, QSO parties | No special events |
| Hamfest, Swapmeet, & Convention Calendar | Upcoming hamfests and conventions | — |
| Hamfest Reports & Videos | Reviews of recent hamfests | — |
| Trials and Errors | Discussion of Dave Jensen, W7DGJ's column | Article discussion board |
| Silent Keys / Friends Remembered | Memorial posts | — |
| Online Swapmeet | Buying and selling gear | Login required |
How to choose the right board
The two boundaries that cause the most misposts are Special Events versus Contests/DXpeditions/QSO Parties, and General Announcements versus everything else. If your post is a contest or QSO party operating notice, it goes to Contests, DXpeditions, QSO Parties. If it is a genuine special event, it goes to Special Events. If it is an announcement of general interest but not an event or contest, General Announcements is the fit. And if you are posting mainly a video with little commentary, expect it to land in Videos, Podcasts, & Blogs.
Before posting, also check the Code of Conduct board, which holds the guidelines and rules for forum users and was last updated July 19, 2023.