[CQ-Contest] Young people.
MARTIN MONSALVO LW9EUJ
lw9euj at ciudad.com.ar
Fri Sep 15 19:32:00 EDT 2000
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Hi all:
Once again I've found a new article on : "the lack of youth in =
contesting". While I think that this phrase is to narrow for a focus, I =
guess it is nice to see that so many are concerned about a big problem =
that will be even bigger in the future, unless we ALL do something about =
it.
Let me tell you about myself, as just an example.
I started contesting in 1990 at the age of 16. My first contest was the =
CQ WW DX CW 1989. I've finished first in argentina althogh LT8WW appears =
listed on 28 MHz (that entry belongs to 1988) !! My second big one the =
CQ WW WPX CW 1990. I came on sixth place world using an just an inverted =
vee as an "antenna". I cannot express the sensation I experimented when =
I saw the results in the magazine. That year I was going to take part in =
7Mhz, my favorite band, but LU8DQ, told me to do it on a higher band. In =
1991, WPX CW on 28 MHZ, second after Chris, then ZS6BCR, in 1992 CQWW =
WPX CW 7 Mhz, world third place. By that time I was totally "in love" =
with contesting, but it took a while.
I set my first continental record in WPX 1994 at the age of 21 from =
AZ4F, and my first world mark in 1996 form LU1IV (CQ WW WPX CW) at 23. =
So I guess I can give my point of view on how tennage and youg people =
feel about major contests.
First of all, we all, or at least most of us take part in contests not =
only to have fun, but also to compete, against ourselves, against a =
local fellow contester, or in a world wide basis.
Youngsters are even more competitive than you and everybody else. They =
compete for allmost everything : to graduate first in their classes, to =
have the most beautiful girl, to be in the football team, and so on. So =
please don't think teenage will also show up to see how it works, they =
can realize it by just reading the rules.
What you must assure them is that they will find a playing field where =
they can compete based on their skills, not the brut force.
I say this because after a long meditation, I concluded that most =
contests privilege brut force and not skills.
That's bad, because having brut force takes lots of bucks (wich most =
young people don't have). Skills are in our own nature, and can be =
improved by practising hard.
Have you ever wondered why so many are talking about excessive power, =
mile long antennas, magnetosphere high towers, and so on? I guess =
because, we exceeded the limits of station performance, and we are (in =
some cases), entering the brut force terrain.
In most contests, and most entry classes, nation or world wide type, =
you can win if you have enough power andantennas, not skills.
I heard many times stations fight for a frequency, based on the =
pwerfulness of their stations, that kind of things dissapoint young =
people, who, in most cases, are taking part from modest stations, I've =
also heard stations specially in the single band classes, continually =
running on the same frequency for the whole 48 hours many times! Is that =
skill? I guess that's boring. Youngsters don't like boring situations.
Last weekend, I entered de NA sprint CW. What a nice contest. I guess =
that type of contests where skills come first will be the ones which =
will prevent contesting from being a sport for millonaires and aged =
people.
73
LW9EUJ,Mart=EDn 27 y/o (not a youngster anymore)
PS: Thanks very much to all those hams and clubs who are working hard =
tho show young peolpe the good side of our sport.
These few lines are dedicated to people like Hrle 9A6XX, the guys at =
WWYC, and to all who think that it is possible to make contesting even =
better.
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<HTML><HEAD>
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hi all:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify> </DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Once again I've found a =
new article=20
on : "the lack of youth in contesting". While I think that this =
phrase is=20
to narrow for a focus, I guess it is nice to see that so many are =
concerned=20
about a big problem that will be even bigger in the future, unless we =
ALL do=20
something about it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Let me tell you about =
myself, as just=20
an example.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I started contesting in =
1990 at the=20
age of 16. My first contest was the CQ WW DX CW 1989. I've finished =
first=20
in argentina althogh LT8WW appears listed on 28 MHz (that entry belongs =
to 1988)=20
!! My second big one the CQ WW WPX CW 1990. I came on sixth place world =
using an=20
just an inverted vee as an "antenna". I cannot express the sensation I=20
experimented when I saw the results in the magazine. That year I was =
going to=20
take part in 7Mhz, my favorite band, but LU8DQ, told me to do it on a =
higher=20
band. In 1991, WPX CW on 28 MHZ, second after Chris, then ZS6BCR, in =
1992 CQWW=20
WPX CW 7 Mhz, world third place. By that time I was totally "in love" =
with=20
contesting, but it took a while.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I set my first =
continental record in=20
WPX 1994 at the age of 21 from AZ4F, and my first world mark in 1996 =
form LU1IV=20
(CQ WW WPX CW) at 23. So I guess I can give my point of view on =
how =20
tennage and youg people feel about major contests.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify> </DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>First of all, we all, =
or at least=20
most of us take part in contests not only to have fun, but also to =
compete,=20
against ourselves, against a local fellow contester, or in a world wide=20
basis.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Youngsters are even =
more competitive=20
than you and everybody else. They compete for allmost everything : to =
graduate=20
first in their classes, to have the most beautiful girl, to be in the =
football=20
team, and so on. So please don't think teenage will also show up to see =
how it=20
works, they can realize it by just reading the rules.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify> </DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>What you must assure =
them is that=20
they will find a playing field where they can compete based on their =
skills, not=20
the brut force.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I say this because =
after a long=20
meditation, I concluded that most contests privilege brut force and not=20
skills.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>That's bad, because =
having brut force=20
takes lots of bucks (wich most young people don't have). Skills are in =
our own=20
nature, and can be improved by practising hard.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Have you ever wondered =
why so=20
many are talking about excessive power, mile long antennas, =
magnetosphere=20
high towers, and so on? I guess because, we exceeded the limits of =
station=20
performance, and we are (in some cases), entering the brut force=20
terrain.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>In most contests, and =
most entry=20
classes, nation or world wide type, you can win if you have enough =
power=20
andantennas, not skills.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I heard many times =
stations fight for=20
a frequency, based on the pwerfulness of their stations, that kind of =
things=20
dissapoint young people, who, in most cases, are taking part from=20
modest stations,</FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> I've also=20
heard stations specially in the single band classes, continually =
running on=20
the same frequency for the whole 48 hours many times! Is that skill? I =
guess=20
that's boring. Youngsters don't like boring situations.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify> </DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Last weekend, I entered =
de NA sprint=20
CW. What a nice contest. I guess that type of contests where skills =
come first=20
will be the ones which will prevent contesting from being a sport =
for=20
millonaires and aged people.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify> </DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>73</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify> </DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>LW9EUJ,Mart=EDn 27 y/o =
(not a youngster=20
anymore)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify> </DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>PS: Thanks very much to =
all those=20
hams and clubs who are working hard tho show young peolpe the good side =
of our=20
sport.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify> </DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>These few lines are =
dedicated to=20
people like Hrle 9A6XX, the guys at WWYC, and to all who think that it =
is=20
possible to make contesting even better.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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