In a message dated 6/22/04 8:08:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
g4buo@compuserve.com writes:
>>It seems to me that Japanese hams still like to work 'DX' but are not
turned on by contesting. Perhaps contesting isn't heavily promoted in Japan.
Dave G4BUO<<
Contesting flourishes where there are clusters of contesters that keep the
fire going. The best examples are YCCC, FRC, PVRC, MRCC, KCDXC etc. Look at the
awakening that K4OJ did with sleepy FL crowd. It helps to meet, exchange lies,
assist each other with station setup, keep the fire going and socialize with
like minded fellows.
Limitations in antenna building and interference problems sure do not help,
Internet and cell phones take away some magic from radio waves, but contesting
still has its magic, mainly because each contest is a new competition, unlike
chasing awards or other long term challenges. If I was "just" DXer, I would be
a "dead" ham by now (been there, done it few times over), but contesting
still keeps me going, there is still so much to explore, improve, records to
beat
or just have plain fun working old buddies and hand out points.
What is also needed is the promotion and publicity in ham magazines and not
relegating us to the back pages of Internet listings. Recent ARRL policy is
shortsighted, seeing us only as a small percentage of ham population, rather
than
buying power equal to 100s of "shack on the belt hams". Would anyone
participate in the Olympics if they were kept secret, with results and records
on some
obscure web site?
Contesting is the ultimate pinnacle of ham radio activities, it should be
promoted by our media, clubs should provide welcome home for those interested
in
contesting, and each of us should be beaming with enthusiasm when promoting
contesting. Field Day is a good opportunity to do that. Let's get few more
souls
excited about contesting.
Yuri, K3BU.us
www.computeradio.us home of "Dream Radio One"
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