unsubscribe

[nx7u at aol.com]

unsubscribe

>From geoiii at bga.com (George Fremin III - WB5VZL)  Fri Apr  1 03:35:28 1994
From: geoiii at bga.com (George Fremin III - WB5VZL) (george fremin iii)
Date: Thu, 31 Mar 1994 21:35:28 -0600 (CST)
Subject: Single/multi
Message-ID: <199404010335.AA00319 at zoom.bga.com>

Ray Rocker writes:
: a member of the contest elite -- an ante that's already staggering. Every
: now and then I see people in this forum lamenting about how young hams
: aren't getting into contesting. Here's a clue: most young hams can't afford 
: ONE nice rig, tower, stacks, and place to put them, much less two of
: each.

ok - i feel i need to comment on this - i have read something like
the abouve several times now - and i am not sure that i agree. 
i started out contesting as a young ham.  i got on the air at 
13 yrs old in 1976.  i did my first contest [the arrl 10m test]
as a novice in 1977 - no novice catagory, with a dipole in an apt. 
the thing that got me fired up to get on and even to look forward
to this contest was the write up of the 1975 or 1976 results in QST.
 
: Though, I do think a "beginner" class, NOT just LP, in the big contests, 
: limited to, say, one op, one rig, small antennas (I'll pass on defining 
: "small"), and maybe even no computers, would do wonders for bringing in 
: new blood, give little pistols something realistic to shoot for besides 
: just breaking one's own records, and encourage development of first-class 
: operating skills in new and financially strapped hams BESIDES those lucky 
: enough to be taken under the wing of a big gun. Something to think about.
: [whoa, that sentence was a mouthful]

when i finally got into doing contests - full time - i was running
a ts520 barefoot, a 2 ele quad at 40 ft and wires at 30 ft for
40m and 80m.  this is not a big station.  when i got on i tried to
beat as many of the "big guns" that i could.  i wanted to be in
the same catagory as the rest of them.  i would not have wanted to
be in a "beginner" class.   
 
i dont see a computer as being that big a deal - paper works very well.
in some cases paper still works better.  
 
you dont need the latest wiz bang box of a radio nor stacked 20 ele
yagis to kick some serious butt in the sweepstakes.  did anyone notice 
the antennas that K6LL is using?    

i have had a great time doing contests over the years.  i have been
lucky enough to operate from some of the largest stations around. 
i have also operated from some very modest or small stations as well. 
i have had fun at both and i feel that i have done very well from
large and small stations.   
 
i operate contests to operate in the contest - sure it is nice to
win - but i do it because i find it fun. 


-- 

George Fremin III
Austin, Texas C.K.U.                        
WB5VZL
512/416-0140
geoiii at bga.com