Ward,
You make great points, I think that the N1MM Section/Grid/Zone/Prefix viewer
can be used as an entry/lightweight
realtime display(s). I have used those displays on my “big screen” 34 monitor
to show progress to visitor/guest
ops here and have found that to be a great add-on to help new contesters to
better visualize contest progress,
as well as the grayline display to help explain propagation.
73,
Art Peters, K0ACP
k0acp@k0acp.com
> On Nov 15, 2017, at 12:31 AM, Ward Silver <hwardsil@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I like where this thread has gone and picked out a few of the bits I thought
> most thought-provoking. N3BB's earlier comments were of interest, as well.
> Perhaps I could add a couple of thoughts and maybe RM2D will re-appear with
> some thoughts about younger contesters, as well.
>
> My "sales pitch" is usually some variation on "you can hear the world
> turning" on HF. This immediately provokes questions and starts any number of
> stories. Most people are completely unaware of the ionosphere, solar weather
> beyond the occasional sensationalized news item about how we're all going to
> die from a solar flare, and the idea that things change every day and every
> hour. This at least starts a conversation which can lead anywhere the
> interest goes.
>
> Radiosport is also missing two crucial elements to hold the interest of
> anyone accustomed to being online: visualization and real-time interaction.
> At the moment, contesting is like submarine racing - awfully interesting to
> whoever is in the submarines but not of much interest to anyone else. All
> the amazing stuff we imagine during the contest - openings, pileups, grey
> line, angle of arrival, rate, strategy - they're all between our ears and
> very little is displayed visually. Some progress is being made - like with
> the waterfall display - but there is so much data we could overlay onto
> various presentations. People are visual today and we need to make what we
> do a little more visual. I'm not saying turn it into a video game - just
> think up ways to make the core functions of what we find so exciting
> something to see as well as hear and imagine.
>
> Real-time interaction (meaning scoring) is the other part. The real-time
> scoreboards are a step or two in the right direction - more of us need to be
> using them and we need more tools for comparing, tracking, ranking, analyzing
> scores and the breakdown data. The underlying mechanism of reporting score
> data to a common processor seems to be solved. Why not send QSO data along
> with the score? Collect the QSOs and send them to a cross-checking
> validation engine that runs until the contest is over. (gross
> oversimplification) Then the final scores are published in minutes, not
> weeks or months. So everybody has to be connected - so what - make a new
> CWAC overlay to CQ WW called the Internet WW and run everybody's totals
> there. If a QSO isn't validated because the station isn't online, give it
> one point or something. Or make a new contest with everybody online - that's
> where our target audience is anyway. We can't wait until the last non-online
> holdout gives in.
>
> Those are tonight's ideas.
>
> 73, Ward N0AX
>
>>
>>> But if the sales pitch for amateur radio is "hey look how fascinating
>>> ionospheric HF propagation is compared to big budget VHF/UHF line of sight
>>> communications" I think it's a very easy pitch to make.
>>>
>>> = = =
>>>
>>> For the young person who has $100 and is
>>> looking to invest in something with a high probability of fun, how does
>>> amateur radio stack up? How much fun would it be for any of us with a $100
>>> station budget?
>>>
>>> = = =
>>>
>>> I've found contesters to be among the most young-at-heart people I've ever
>>> met. I've been shocked a few times to discover that a contester I had
>>> operated with was 10+ years older than I'd realized. Contesting truly may
>>> be the fountain of youth. Maybe it's the combination of a spirit that does
>>> not decline with age and the strategic insight that only gets stronger with
>>> experience.
>>>
>>> = = =
>>>
>>> ...they are interested in integrated stations (computer &
>>> radio) with automation coming quickly as the world that they are used to,
>>> this is a bit of a challenge for some of our mentors, who want to start
>>> from the theory of discrete components and work toward crystal radios, then
>>> onto discrete components, then ...
>>>
>>> = = =
>>>
>>> I believe that both approaches will appeal to different constituencies;
>>> however, the former approach of starting with the integrated station and
>>> then dealing into the theory, seems to be more effective on a broader base.
>>>
>>> My take away is that there is no one single bullet and that we will need
>>> multiple approaches; however, from my observation, if not a statistically
>>> significant sample, is that this approach in getting them online then work
>>> to fill out operational and theoretical competence has offered an appeal to
>>> a broader set of students that we have the privilege to interact and offer
>>> a road to hamdom....
>>>
>>> = = =
>>>
>>> Amateurs have spent decades building the foundations of radio, it's time to
>>> help the new crowd take those foundations and build something of their own
>>> on top of it.
>
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