Mike, the NCJ contests are not sponsored by the ARRL. The ARRL took on the role
of NCJ publisher some years ago but the ARRL plays no role in managing the
NCJ-sponsored contests.
If you want to have influence in the RAC, first be a member. The organization
deserves your support and that of every Canadian amateur.
73,
Dave Sumner, K1ZZ
________________________________________
From: Mike & Coreen Smith VE9AA [ve9aa@nbnet.nb.ca]
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2014 5:43 PM
To: w1ve@yccc.org; ghbawden@gmail.com; Craigie, Kay, N3KN; Sumner, Dave, K1ZZ;
Marcel LeBlanc; morgakl@nb.sympatico.ca; 'Bill Glydon'
Cc: 'CQ-Contest'; ve5sf@rac.ca; alan; 'Scott Nichols'
Subject: RE: [CQ-Contest] Move to disband MAR section in Canada (for contesting)
The ARRL sponsored NCJ sprints require MAR, whereas the ARRL NCJ NA QSO parties
allow Provinces.
Some ARRL contests require MAR, whereas some require NB, NS & PEI. There seems
to be little in the way of consistency.
Thankfully, the overwhelming majority of worldwide contests, including 90% of
state run QSO parties allow “NB, NS or PEI.”
(The California QSO party being the holdout)…..folks are usually tickled when
they work VE9 for a new mult.
The continuous staunch retort from (my good friends at) the ARRL seems to say
“We follow RAC sections”, and apparently that’s that-end of discussion. .
…however if you look down the list of ARRL contests very carefully, you’ll see
only a percentage of them do. (50%?) I don’t know – I would have to count them.
Does it matter if I said 40% or 65% really?
Even the hugely popular RAC contests here at home say “send your province”……I
have sent “NB” in every Canada Day or Canada Winter contest that I have entered
since “RAC” was the CARF. I live in NB not a fictitious “Maritime Province”.
By saying “we follow RAC”……no, you really don’t. You only follow RAC sections
for *S-O-M-E* of the ARRL sponsored contests. ( I reckon not even most of them)
I still also stand by the fact that no other States or Provinces are lumped
together with other States or Provinces to create a section. (DC is the
exception, but it is not a State ) I have new information given to me today
that once upon a time Georgia, SC and Cuba (of all places) was a section, but
that must surely been before I was born, or at least the Bay of Pigs affair.
Hey, I don’t expect anyone to jump right up and change things overnight, but
look, I’ve been a VE9 for 21 years (and a ham much longer than that). I am
not CURRENTLY a RAC member, but have been in the past. I was even a volunteer
for the RAC VHF frequency committee for VE3DS and certainly do my part to
represent VE9 (NB) in the RAC contests out of an unwritten devotion to RAC even
though admittedly they are not my favorite contests.
Usually I feel my voice is never heard and over time I will let my RAC
membership lapse.
All I am saying is that (for whatever reason) we have multiple sections in
Ontario and every other Province has their own section. Isn’t it time for the
ARRL to get onboard with 95% of other worldwide contests and recognize that
it’s time to recognize that ALL contests under the ARRL banner should treat us
equally out here?
It sure would be nice to hear from Geoff Bowden on this issue. I have RAC
folks (VE9MY and VY2LI) who’ve heard our concerns. We have RAC representation
in every province including NB, NS and PEI (and Newfoundland/Labrador). I am
not entirely certain where they stand, but if it takes someone from RAC to
initiate a change or someone from the ARRL like N3KN or K1ZZ to pick up the
phone and call Manitoba and speak with VE4BAW, to see what needs to be done I’d
gladly pay the long distance charges. I see people at ARRL and RAC nodding,
but nobody is even CONSIDERING our request and nobody is even talking.
Thanks for your time.
Mike VE9AA “NB”
Mike, Coreen & Corey
Keswick Ridge, NB
From: Gerry Hull [mailto:gerry@yccc.org]
Sent: October 30, 2014 4:31 PM
To: Mike & Coreen Smith VE9AA
Cc: CQ-Contest; ve5sf@rac.ca
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Move to disband MAR section in Canada (for contesting)
As a ex-pat Maritimer, I'd agree, from a contest perspective, it would be
wonderful to have the individual provinces as multipliers.
I'd hazard to guess, though, that the decision that drove Ontario to have
separate sections was not driven by contesting, but by the
size of the amateur population and administrative needs.
I'd say that boycotting contests that use MAR as the multiplier will hurt your
cause -- IF those in power were to consider contest activity one of the
factors in breaking up MAR into provinces, boycotting current contests would
definitely hurt!
So, count me in support of the effort, but let me counsel you to PARTICIPATE in
ARRL contests!
Here's hoping I work a bunch of MARs in SS CW -- I'll be VE1RM/3 or CG1RM/3
from ONE. (Ottawa is a closer drive than even St. John!)
73, Gerry W1VE
Also: VE1RM, VY2CDX, VE9XDX, VO1WIN
On Wed, Oct 29, 2014 at 4:09 PM, Mike & Coreen Smith VE9AA
<ve9aa@nbnet.nb.ca<mailto:ve9aa@nbnet.nb.ca>> wrote:
The following is from Al, VA1MM but I 100% support him. See my own (VE9AA)
comments below his:
VA1MM:
A group of us contesters here in the "MAR" section feel the time has come to
announce the end of the MAR section in not only ARRL contests but all
contests. When our Department of Communications (now Industry Canada)
granted us separate prefixes for New Brunswick (VE9), Nova Scotia (VE1) and
Prince Edward Island (VY2), they recognized they we were distinct Provinces
with enough Amateur Radio operators to support a distinct call sign. And as
multipliers go, why wouldn't you want to have three new districts to work
when multiplied by six bands you have a substantial increase in your scores.
We have tried to weigh the pros and cons, the only con would be the contest
software not keeping up with the change or the operator not downloading the
newest version, but do we wait forever? Ontario (VE3) lead the way with
their divisional split, now it's time for the Maritimes to be recognized as
NS, NB and PEI
Thank-you, Al VA1MM/ VE1AWP (NS) Maritime Contest Club Member
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
VE9AA, Mike says:
I've been moaning and groaning about this very thing for years and years.
SOME ARRL contests force us to send MAR (a very antiquated section) and some
permit us to send NB, NS and PEI (the provinces where we are)
Meanwhile, places like Ontario recently get 4 (count them) FOUR sections?
What the??? Do we not exist out here or what????
What if we were to combine RI, DE and ME? Who in W1 would go for that
section>? \RIDEME\
Prior to 1993, all NB, NS and PEI's were VE1's...*BUT*, News Flash> In 1993
us "VE1's" all got NEW distinct callsign prefixes
ie: NB=VE9, NS=VE1 and PEI=VY2...there are very few left that kept their
original VE1 calls in NB or PEI. (the NS guys got to keep their VE1's)...
We are distinct provinces, (have been for eons.) just as Maine, Rhode Island
and Delaware are. Maybe it made sense in the old days or whatever to have
us as one section as there are fewer hams here (and we were all VE1's) , but
I think you'll see as a fellow member of MCC also, that we are well
represented these days. As a point of interest, there are so many VE1's that
they also have a VA1 prefix to choose from. If it's based on activity (I
know it's not) there are certainly ARRL and RAC sections with less activity
than NB, NS and PEI.
Even in the RAC contests we send "NB,NS and PE" so saying you "follow RAC"
does not hold water, nor does it even make sense 2+ decades later.
I normally try to boycott most contests that force us to send "MAR" as a
silent protest. Probably nobody notices but there are others like me out
here.
Get with the times ARRL, CQP and a very select few others.
I don't know who's attention we need to get, but help us out. Rattle some
chains. Send emails to those you know,
"RAC" is not contest oriented. Why we have to follow that structure (but
only for some contests) is beyond me !?!?
Respectfully,
Mike VE9AA (proudly in NB)
Mike, Coreen & Corey
Keswick Ridge, NB
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