Idea to PROMOTE CONTESTING ?

[K7LXC at aol.com]

In a message dated 96-05-30 04:52:38 EDT, you write:
>I think the postings on this thread agree, we need to do abit more PR work.

Bill --

    Spectacular idea!!  Imagine doing a real job of promoting
contesting...what a concept.  Reaching out and inviting interested hams to
operate your (or some available) station is a great way to "hook" them.  Just
to be part of an operation like that is a thrill.  "Boy, this sure works
better than my R7!"  

      Look at the example of K4VX.  He invited young guys over and they got
hooked.  He has probably turned out more high caliber ops than any one else
that I can think of.  You didn't have to 'earn' your way to his place, you
were just invited.  The station list in CQ Contest magazine is one way to
direct interested ops to a station where they can experience the thrills and
challenges.  

      Several local Western Washington DX Club guys (WA0RJY, N0AX, K7SS and
others) started a "Contest University" where they started with Contesting 101
and got them on the air.  Operating techniques, computers, sending your full
call, etc. were covered.  People actually showed up and got invaluable
advice.  

      Another video that you may want to consider is the one from the first
WRTC held in Seattle in 1990.  It REALLY shows the excitement of the
competition and the CAMARADARIE of the contestants.  It was professionally
made to be viewed by anyone - especially non-hams - so you really get a sense
of the whole scope of it.  Contact Adam, AA7FT, if you want to get a copy
(pacarch at wolfenet.com).  

     Bill, this was such a good post that you may have just given me the bug
to do something myself.  I challenge everyone on this reflector to get ONE
 NEW PERSON interested in contesting and actually give them a chance to
operate at a contest station by the end of the year.  My station's available
and I'll get my new contester.  
How about you?

     You know what the by-product of this endeavor will be?  We will break
down the "elitist" barrier that is the perception that so many other amateurs
have of us. 

73,  Steve   K7LXC 

>From thompson at mindspring.com (David L. Thompson)  Thu May 30 15:42:05 1996
From: thompson at mindspring.com (David L. Thompson) (David L. Thompson)
Date: Thu, 30 May 1996 10:42:05 -0400
Subject: Promoting Contesting
Message-ID: <199605301532.LAA14244 at borg.mindspring.com>

I read the ideas that have been posted regarding promoting contesting and I
think having contest Universities at ON4UN, K4VX, K7SS are great and needs
to be expanded.  I have followed FRC and their "farm system" and can speak
from first hand experience in checking 160 logs that their system works!
We need to build one more level of promotion that will feed into our contest
U.'s and clubs....

I was a new ham just promoting from Novice in early summer of 1958.  I read
an article on ham radio contesting in Sports Illustrated that made me a
contester altho as with most of us I already had contest Q's and was just
starting on making W5KHB/5 a field day terror in 3A (from 1957 to 1970 3
first places, 3 second places, 2 third places, and all but 1957 and 8 were
top 10 finishes and they were top 25%).   Bill Leonard, W2SKE's article
explained amateur radio and then slid right into "being in competition."
Bill was an op at K2GL and I found I already knew HH2Z and KH6IJ as I had
already worked them.  You can view "The Battle of The Hams" at Ham Radio
OnLine on the World wide web.   The article was in the June 30, 1958 issue.

What we need is the same type of article today...Bill Leonard W2SKE is no
longer with us but surely there is a ham who could piant this same type of
picture in 1996.  I heard K6DXK on 20 (I don't think he contests any
more)..he of The French Atlantic Affair and many movies/books.  I heard Roy
Neal, K6DUE/4 calling ZL8RI a few evenings ago.  Perhaps one of them (or
someone you know) could put together the story tied into WRTC 96....and get
it published in a major magazine or as a newspaper article.    

This is my idea of real promotion.

73, Dave K4JRB