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What is QRZ Forums?
QRZ Forums is an online discussion community for amateur radio operators, hosted at QRZ Forums. It functions as a message-board hub where hams talk about operating, news, events, and technical topics, and where announcements and event listings are organized into separate sections.
What you'll find there
- General amateur radio discussion, including a newsroom-style area for articles of interest and a general announcements board.
- Operating and event forums: contests, DXpeditions, QSO parties, and a separate section reserved strictly for actual special events (not contest or QSO-party call signs).
- Hamfest and convention coverage: a calendar of upcoming hamfests plus user reports and videos from past ones.
- Media threads: videos, podcasts, and blogs, with a note that posts consisting mostly of a video link get moved there.
- Community and memorial sections: a "Silent Keys / Friends Remembered" area honoring operators who have passed, and a column-discussion forum hosted by Dave Jensen, W7DGJ.
- An online swapmeet for buying and selling gear — this part requires you to be logged in.
How it compares to other ham sites
| Site | Best for |
|---|---|
| QRZ Forums | Broad, active discussions; events, hamfests, and a members-only swapmeet |
| QRZ.com | Callsign lookups and station profiles |
| ARRL | Official organization news, regulatory info, and member services |
| QRZ Now | Ham radio news headlines |
A practical next step
If you're new to the hobby, start with the general discussion and hamfest sections to get a feel for current activity, then browse the contest and DXpedition boards when you're ready to get on the air. If you mainly want to buy or sell equipment, create an account first, since the swapmeet is only visible to logged-in users. For callsign lookups rather than conversation, QRZ.com itself is the more direct tool.
How can I participate in the Online Swapmeet on QRZ Forums?
To participate in the Online Swapmeet on QRZ Forums, you need a registered QRZ account and you must be logged in. The swapmeet section is not publicly visible: the forum listing states, "Login to access the Swapmeet Forums — You must be logged in to access the swapmeet forum." Once signed in, the Online Swapmeet appears as a forum area described as "A virtual hamfest with real good stuff," where members post items for sale or trade and contact each other to arrange the deal.
What to expect
- Account required. Sign in with your QRZ credentials before the swapmeet area will open for you. If you don't have an account, register on QRZ first.
- Member-to-member listings. Sellers post descriptions, photos and asking prices; buyers respond in the thread or by private message. QRZ Forums itself is a discussion platform, not a payment or escrow service.
- Community rules apply. The forums have a posted Code of Conduct, and individual swapmeet sections often add their own posting rules (for example, requiring a location or a clear asking price). Read the stickied threads at the top of the swapmeet area before your first post.
- Related buying and selling activity. Outside the swapmeet, the broader forum has a Hamfest, Swapmeet & Convention Calendar for in-person events, plus a Hamfest Reports & Videos section where members review recent events.
Practical first steps
- Log in to your QRZ account, then open the Online Swapmeet forum.
- Read the rules and any "how to post" sticky threads.
- If buying, check the seller's post history and feedback in the forums before sending money; ask for additional photos or a video call for higher-value gear.
- If selling, include clear photos, condition notes, your asking price and your shipping or pickup terms in the first post.
For general ham radio discussion and background on the community, see QRZ Forums. For official QRZ account and callsign services, see QRZ. If you are mainly looking for in-person swap meets rather than online listings, the ARRL hamfest calendar at ARRL is a useful complement.
What topics are covered in the QRZ Forums amateur radio discussion groups?
QRZ Forums is a broad amateur-radio discussion board rather than a single-topic community. Its sections cover operating, news, events, equipment-oriented conversation and community remembrance, with activity levels that vary widely by area.
H3 Main topic areas
- Rules and orientation: A code-of-conduct section sets expectations for participants.
- News: A newsroom area for articles of interest to radio amateurs, plus a separate forum for newsworthy amateur-radio articles.
- Media: A forum for videos, podcasts and blogs, including posts that are mostly video with little written commentary.
- Announcements: General amateur-radio announcements, explicitly not for special events or contests.
- Special events: Reserved for actual special events, not contest or QSO-party call signs.
- Contests and DX: Upcoming contests, DXpeditions and QSO parties, with special events directed elsewhere.
- Column discussion: A discussion area tied to the "Trials and Errors — Ham Life with an Amateur" article series, hosted by Dave Jensen, W7DGJ.
- Hamfests and conventions: A calendar of upcoming hamfests and conventions, plus a separate section for user reports and videos from recent hamfests.
- Silent Keys: A memorial area for radio amateurs who have passed away.
- Online Swapmeet: A virtual hamfest section, accessible only after logging in.
H3 How to choose where to start
If you want operating news and contest activity, the contests/DX and announcements sections are the natural entry points. If you are planning travel around a hamfest, the calendar and hamfest reports pair well. If you are researching a piece of gear or a station problem, the swapmeet and general discussion threads are where practical experience tends to surface.
One practical caveat: the forum divides similar subjects deliberately. Special events, contests and general announcements each have their own home, so a post placed in the wrong section may get moved or receive less response. Read the section description before posting.
A useful next step is to browse the section with the most recent activity that matches your interest, then check whether a similar thread already exists before starting a new one. For official amateur-radio resources, the ARRL site is a reasonable companion reference.
Where can I find information about upcoming hamfests and conventions on QRZ Forums?
Look in the Hamfest, Swapmeet, & Convention Calendar section of QRZ Forums. It is the board explicitly described as covering upcoming hamfests and conventions, so it is the right starting point for dates, locations and event chatter. A companion board, Hamfest Reports & Videos, holds user reviews and video recaps of events that have already happened, which is useful when you are deciding whether a particular hamfest is worth the trip.
QRZ Forums
How to use it
- Open the calendar board and browse recent threads before posting a new one; event announcements are often repeated or updated.
- Use the search function for a state, city or event name (for example, a regional hamfest) to find existing threads instead of starting a duplicate.
- Check the Hamfest Reports & Videos board for first-hand impressions of venue, tailgate scene and flea market size.
- For anything unrelated to a hamfest, note that special events, contests and QSO parties have their own separate boards, so a hamfest query belongs in the calendar section.
Practical example
Suppose you are planning a weekend in another state and want to know whether a local tailgate fest is worth the drive. Search the calendar board for the event name, read the thread for dates and talk-in frequency details, then look for a matching report thread in the reports board to see what earlier attendees said about parking, admission and the swap tables. If nothing comes up, post a short question with the event name and region in the title.
One caveat
The Online Swapmeet area requires you to be logged in, but the hamfest calendar and reports boards are the relevant places for event information, so you do not need swapmeet access just to research upcoming hamfests.
How do I post a question or start a discussion on QRZ Forums?
To start a discussion on QRZ Forums, create or sign in to a QRZ account, open the forum section that matches your topic, and use that section's Post Thread (or New Thread) button. Write a clear subject line, put the full question in the message body, and submit.
A practical path
- Register or log in at the QRZ Forums site. Posting and replying require an account; browsing much of the site does not.
- Pick the right section rather than the busiest one. The forum is organized by purpose, so a misplaced thread may be moved or ignored.
- Read the section's sticky posts first, especially the Code of Conduct and rules, which were updated in July 2023.
- Click the post-thread button, choose a descriptive title, and write your question.
- Add the details another ham would need: your call sign if licensed, band, mode, radio or antenna, what you tried, and the exact result or error.
- Submit and check back. Reply to answers in the same thread so the context stays together.
Choosing the right section
| If your topic is… | Post in… | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A general operating question or announcement of broad interest | General Announcements | Reaches a wide amateur audience, but is not for contests or special events |
| An actual on-air special event | Special Events | Reserved for real special events, not contest or QSO-party call signs |
| A contest, DXpedition or QSO party | Contests, DXpeditions, QSO Parties | Keeps event traffic out of the special-events section |
| A hamfest or convention | Hamfest, Swapmeet, & Convention Calendar | Intended for upcoming hamfests and conventions |
| A review of a hamfest you attended | Hamfest Reports & Videos | For user reviews and video reports |
| A video, podcast or blog post | Videos, Podcasts, & Blogs | Posts that are mostly a video with little commentary are moved here |
| Buying or selling gear | Online Swapmeet | Requires login to access the Swapmeet Forums |
One example
Suppose you cannot get your new HF antenna to tune on 40 meters. A weak post is "Antenna problem, help." A useful post goes in the general announcements or operating area, names the antenna and tuner, gives the band and SWR readings, explains what you changed, and asks a specific question such as whether the feed line length or a bad connector is the likely cause. That gives readers something to diagnose instead of guess at.
A quick decision rule
Post where a reader looking for that subject would search. If your thread is mainly a video, use the video section. If it is a genuine special event, use Special Events. If it is a contest or DXpedition, use the contest section. When two sections seem plausible, choose the narrower one and mention the overlap in your first line.
For rules and conventions beyond the forum itself, the national associations are useful references: ARRL and RSGB.
What are the rules and code of conduct for using QRZ Forums?
The QRZ Forums operate under a published Code of Conduct, referenced on the forum home page as "Guidelines and Rules for users of the Forum," last updated July 19, 2023. The homepage points members to that document rather than restating every rule inline, so the authoritative place to read the specifics is that Code of Conduct thread in the QRZ Forums section.
What the forum structure itself makes clear is that conduct here is tied to posting in the right place. Several boards carry explicit restrictions:
- General Announcements is for amateur radio news of general interest, and is not for special events or contests.
- Special Events is reserved for genuine special events, not SES call signs for contests or QSO parties.
- Contests, DXpeditions, QSO Parties covers upcoming contests, DXpeditions and QSO parties, and explicitly excludes special events.
- Videos, Podcasts, & Blogs takes posts that are mostly a video with little or no commentary, and such posts may be moved there regardless of content.
- Online Swapmeet requires you to be logged in to access the swapmeet forums.
So a practical reading of the rules is: read the Code of Conduct first, then match your post to the board whose description fits it. Misplaced posts get moved, which is the visible enforcement mechanism described on the page.
A concrete scenario
Suppose you want to publicize a special-event call sign. Posting it in General Announcements or in Contests, DXpeditions, QSO Parties would conflict with those boards' stated purposes; the Special Events board is the intended home. If instead you have a mostly-uncommented YouTube link, expect it to land in Videos, Podcasts, & Blogs.
Next step
Open the Code of Conduct thread at the top of QRZ Forums and read it before your first post, then check the description under each board before starting a thread. If you are unsure where something belongs, the board descriptions above are the fastest decision criterion.
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