On Thu, Apr 10, 2003 at 11:31:36AM -0700, John Geiger wrote:
> I am in agreement with the rest of you. However, if
> the ARRL were to reinstate contest line scores, they
> would have to admit that it was a mistake to remove
> them. When is the last time (or ever) that you have
> seen the ARRL admit that they made a mistake?
Well - how about the time they opened up the DX contest to let DX work
DX for one year?
I am alarmed at this thread turning into ARRL bashing. The CQ VHF contests
have much less participation. The ARRL's decisions affect all contests,
and the HF contests seem to be growing instead of shrinking.
I think VHF contesting has basically the same challenges as HF contesting
- in that the number of hams is decreasing, more people are spending
more time doing other things, and there aren't a lot of young people
coming into the hobby.
Pointing at line scores being removed is an easy thing to blame.
Personally, I think there are positive forces that should make the activity
increase. We have lots of hams retiring so they have more time for radio
and we have a lot more HF radios that cover VHF/UHF bands.
How do we get these people to get on in the contests? Sure, exposure in
QST helps - and it isn't totally gone with the removal of line scores. The
challenge is to make the writeups interesting so that someone who reads about
it will want to get involved. Most of the HF contest writeups are done by
non QST staff. If you are passionate about VHF contesting, why not consider
putting that passion into a writeup?
What have each of us done to encourage activity on the VHF/UHF bands? Do
we help out new people on the band by answering their CQs and getting to know
them? Are we active in local clubs talking up the contests? Are we putting
up beacons so there is something to be heard when people turn their radio on?
When we work someone with a new rig, but no antenna for 432, do we encourage
them to get on and give it a try? Maybe we offer to loan them an antenna to
get on.
Contests become more fun for everyone when there is lots of activity. It takes
energy to help generate more activity - and we all need to do our part to help
out. If someone gets on in a contest and has fun, they will be back. If they
work two or three people and nothing else, then they probably won't.
Tree N6TR / K7RAT
tree@kkn.net
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