[CQ-Contest] Public Service

[Lee Buller]

>At 08:23 PM 12/31/97 -0500, Jim KI7Y wrote:

>>As Ward N0AX and Ron WD4AHZ have pointed out, contesters make would make
>>very good emergency communicators.

True fact....

>>I also  want to point out that in a lot of cases it has been just the
>>opposite, that many traffic handlers have become contesters. Tree N6TR and
>>a multitude of other 6 call area contesters are a prime example.  And I
>>came from that  direction myself.  Must admit contest exchanges thru
>>QRM,QRN, QSB etc are easier than lots of written messages.  And in
>>listening to some of the existing emergency operations, most contesters
>>would have passed the traffic in the time they take to give out callsigns
>>and instructions.

True in my case too.

>Jim makes a good point.  Most of the contesters that came up in the late
>50's and early 60's were into traffic handling and emergency communications.
>We used this experience well with hurricanes, tornados, and floods.  Between
>emergencies most were active handling traffic in the ARRL NTS, Civil
>Defense/RACES or were active in MARS.  Being an ARRL EC oe SEC (emergency
>coordinator) was popular, too.  As I said in an earlier message the ARRL SS
>exchange was originally designed to train traffic handlers.

Again true in my case....

>
>The place where contesters and non contesters (USA/Canada) can come together
>is the ARRL Field Day.  While not officially a contest, this is a great
>place to make use of our skills and rub elbows....We did this at W5KHB (Now
>K5OCM) at the Old Natchez Amateur Radio Club...and we won 3A 3 times!!!
>
>73, Best of 98 to all
>Dave K4JRB 

But......

I wish this was true everywhere.  But, it is not.  In my experience, some of
the no-coders types do not appreciate the contesters.  I must also say, some
of us contesters have no use for the no coders and we've been very vocal
about it.  Also, a lot of us come off smug and conceited (present company
excluded ;>) ).  

I've found this to be true in when Skywarn is activated.  A contester type
(who is on the roster for Skywarn and RACES) shows up, they are ignored.
Later, one of the guys said that  the contester has no businesses being
around...this activity is what no-coders can do.  Of course, the experienced
guys smile and say sure.  We all know that we can do in a high traffic and
stress experience.

Some of that is the contester's problem because they do not participate in
the local repeater activity.  Sometimes, I find myself becoming insular
because I cannot stand the traffic on the repeater, so I shut it off in
disgust. When we disappear from the ham radio scene we cannot keep up the
personal relationships with others.

Also, I have found on FD when a contester sits in front of the radio and
starts running great rate...the others tend to get really torqued off.  The
previous guys was feeling good about himself running two hours and making 35
contacts...while the contesters is running so fast it is apparent that he
will make 120 contacts in two hours.  Not good.  

The polarization in ham radio can be tracked to the haves and the have nots.
In  our local club we have three types....no-coders (some of these guys are
really OK and worth working with)...extras who have taken the test but have
zilched experience and don't even own a HF radio but have the 1X2 call...
and the the guys who have it all, done it all, and can back it up.  

Now I am leaving the domain of the discussion on this list...but ham radio
is not only about communication with others through radio technology....but
it is also about relationships with others.  Then we bring in the human
element...which can be extremely difficult to deal with.

Lee
k0wa at southwind.net



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