I agree with Frank. The ARRL is NOT a democracy, evidence their dumping of the
assisted category. My only disagreement is that withholding participation may
not be enough. If they continue to dump on the little guy, this little guy
simply will will spend his money elsewhere.
Greg
--------------------------------------------------------------
From: frank bechdoldt <k3uhf@hotmail.com>
Subject: [VHFcontesting] Whats up with the ARRL?
To: vhfcontesting@contesting.com
Date: Sunday, August 9, 2009, 9:04 AM
Though I generally try to encourage vhf activity, it seems that it may be a
time to make a statement to the ARRL. Marshall suggested sending in empty logs
in response to the EME rule change. I am not versed well in EME but I think he
has a point. Un assisted may be the ultimate goal, and it is definitely more of
a challenge, but the assisted should be there to help those to the ultimate
goal if they can ever reach it.
Compare it to golf, most of us will never be pros, but we still enjoy the game
as an amateur or with a handicap. It seems that the ARRL has wiped out the
amateur and the Handicaps in this arena.
This strikes me as odd considering how they have reached out to encourage
growth in other VHF contests such as the rover category. Its my opinion that
they botched up roving as well and tried to fix it with a band aid when it
needed a major overhaul. That being said, at least the effort was there to
encourage participation even if the PSC chose to ignore some of the
suggestions of the VUAC.
In comparison to that debacle, it seems that the ARRL went the other way with
the EME contests. This shows a total lack of direction from the ARRL. It also
demonstrates that they are no better then a boat with no sail or engine and
they will simply go where the winds and currents of politics go.
This leads me to believe that the ARRL contests are fundamentally flawed and
lack any serious sense of purpose or vision. I believe in some cases like
grid circling on microwave bands they are only manufactured short range QSOs
to justify the monopolization of otherwise unused spectrum and this is why the
ARRl allows it to continue.
Its time we took a honest look at ourselves as amateur radio operators. We
have a long history of giving to the human race in various ways. But we get
down right mad if they threaten to take away some spectrum way up in the
microwaves that we will never use more than a few MHZ of. If that technology
can be put to better use then we should give it up.
Or better yet, maybe its time to find a better way to use that spectrum
ourselves and seek to redefine our licenses as to help more people. We have
let the confines of our licenses let technology pass us by and we are becoming
irrelevant unless a natural disaster hits.
I challenge the ARRL to do something useful and to lobby for a redefinition of
our privileges on the microwave bands. One idea ; Let Amateurs set up moderate
powered wireless network nodes in our spectrum above 2.4 ghz and let non hams
buy equipment to connect to them. Imagine a more free internet using ham
technology. There has to be better ideas than this. If we are to continue we
must make ourselves relevant.
All of this shows that I think the ARRL is lost. The contest system is
seriously flawed. It can never be perfect but the way they run it is half
hearted and subject to too much politics and lacks any vision or sense of
direction. The things that some of us do to get the little pieces of paper are
sometimes ludicrous and the fact that there is no real tangible standard makes
them somewhat meaning less.
If there was a way to recall the PSC I would do it. For now I agree with
Marshall, if you are alienated due to the lack common sense in the rules just
send in an empty log. Do the contest and work towards your VUCC. At least
there is a sense of direction with that award and a definite standard and the
politics behind it are laid to rest.
k3uhf
________
---------------------------------------------------------
Greg Chartrand - W7MY
Richland, WA.
DN-06IF
W7MY Home Page:
http://webpages.charter.net/w7my/
_______________________________________________
VHFcontesting mailing list
VHFcontesting@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
|