16 year old

[pascoe at MathWorks.Com]

Bill, KM9P write:

: AC4WO is a 16 year old kid who really knows
: the code & was very hungry.  Quite a nice surprise.


You're not kidding.  I wish we had some of those around here.  The
only ones I come across just know about 2 meter handhelds.  Nothing
against 2 meter handhelds....but......

It's pretty hard to invite youngsters into contesting....if the bug
doesn't bite naturally, it seems that there's no real incentive for
them.  Think about it....stay up for 40-48 hours for what?  They need
that instant gratification........

I have to give credit to W3GM, K4VX, N3RS, and others I've come across
who have successfully gotten younger hams into the upper echelons of
contesting.  I don't know what their secret is, but it would be
interesting to hear other perspectives on this.

==== Dave Pascoe KM3T ===================== pascoe at mathworks.com ==========
     The MathWorks, Inc.
     24 Prime Park Way, Natick, MA 01760
==== Tel: 508-653-2452 (x362) ==== Fax: 508-653-2997 =================

>From XMSJ29A at prodigy.com (MR JAMES A WHITE)  Tue Feb  1 00:50:10 1994
From: XMSJ29A at prodigy.com (MR JAMES A WHITE) (MR JAMES A WHITE)
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 1994 19:50:10 EST
Subject: Florida CW Contest Group
Message-ID: <025.00280124.XMSJ29A at prodigy.com>

lets see if I can get the address right this time:


--[ FORWARDED PRIVATE MESSAGE ]--------

     To: cq-contest at tcv.com                  Order #277607
   From: XMSJ29A
Subject: FLORIDA CW CONTEST GROUP
   Date: 01/31/94 05:09 AM

Newsflash-dateline Tampa

        They moved the Orlando convention weekend! Due to the simultaneous
scheduling of the CW ARRL International DX Contest and the Orlando ARRL
Convention, the previously scheduled meeting of the Florida CW Contest
Group of Saturday Noon on February 19 has been cancelled.

        Another meeting date for an Orlando area meeting will be announced
in the next issue of the Contest Gazette.

        Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused, but who in their
right mind would re-schedule an ARRL Convention onto the weekend of their
prime DX contest ???? Priorities are screwed up big time, I'd say. I guess
that stuff only counts when its VHF contests, eh?

                                 73/GL

                                       Jim, K1ZX
                                       January 30, 1994


>From dcurtis at mipos2.intel.com (Dave Curtis)  Tue Feb  1 02:06:26 1994
From: dcurtis at mipos2.intel.com (Dave Curtis) (Dave Curtis)
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 18:06:26 PST
Subject: 16 year old
Message-ID: <9402010206.AA12093 at climax.intel.com>

de Dave KM3T:

> Bill, KM9P write:

> : AC4WO is a 16 year old kid who really knows
> : the code & was very hungry.  Quite a nice surprise.

[...]

> It's pretty hard to invite youngsters into contesting....if the bug
> doesn't bite naturally, it seems that there's no real incentive for
> them.  Think about it....stay up for 40-48 hours for what?  They need
> that instant gratification........

[...]

> I have to give credit to W3GM, K4VX, N3RS, and others I've come across
> who have successfully gotten younger hams into the upper echelons of
> contesting.  I don't know what their secret is, but it would be
> interesting to hear other perspectives on this.

Well, I vividly remember being a 14 year old novice seeing Field
Day for the first time.  I got to spend significant time logging and
operating and just hangin' around with the gang -- helping with the
cantankerous generator, (mis)tuning dipoles, etc.  It was just plain
fun -- and the issue of score was secondary.  It did cement in my
mind how much fun a contest could be.  I think a big part of it was
being taken seriously for whatever help I could provide.  Obviously,
as a new novice and an obnoxious smart-butt teenager, they had
plenty of excuses to ignore me, but for some reason, they didn't.
They just put me to work ("here, grab that rope...",  "read off the
line voltage while I adjust the governor...", etc.)

Here's a stab at a survey:

1) When did you get infected with the contest bug?
2) What made that occasion stand out?
3) Who made the difference to you?

73, Dave NG0X
dcurtis at mipos2.intel.com
>From k2mm at MasPar.COM (John Zapisek)  Tue Feb  1 09:48:35 1994
From: k2mm at MasPar.COM (John Zapisek) (John Zapisek)
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 94 01:48:35 PST
Subject: Florida CW Contest Group
Message-ID: <9402010948.AA11518 at greylock.local>

> who in their right mind would re-schedule an ARRL Convention onto the
> weekend of their prime DX contest ????

Hey, they're just tryin' to get the non-contesters outa everybody's hair
for a few hours.  Give 'em a break.  --John/K2MM