[CQ-Contest] Does Dayton hurt the WPX CW Contest?

[Dick Green]

Allow me to lend my voice to those requesting that CQ WPX CW be moved from
Memorial Day weekend.

This is one of my favorite contests, and I make every effort to operate, but
must pay a heavy price every time I do. I don't think it's unreasonable for
my XYL to ask, "Does your commitment to contesting mean that we can never
have a family weekend or go anywhere on Thanksgiving *and* Memorial Day?" So
far, I've hemmed and hawed a lot and have gotten away with it. I usually
point out that Thanksgiving is a four-day holiday and I'm spending half of
it with the family. That argument is beginning to wear thin! Memorial Day is
a lot tougher, as our anniversary is May 29 and sometimes falls on the
contest weekend.

In recent years, my wife has packed up our daughter and gone to visit
friends or relatives. That's certainly helped me to concentrate on
operating, but I miss them and worry about them traveling without me. It's
not a question of whether my wife will "let me operate". I'd love to spend
those long weekends with her and my daughter. Come Monday of the three-day
weekend, and I'm home by myself wishing I was with them!

I really don't understand why the CQ sponsors find it necessary to schedule
their two major CW contests on weekends that are sure to produce the maximum
domestic conflict. I suspect that family scheduling patterns and marriage
dynamics have changed a quite a bit since the dates were originally chosen,
so it would be a good idea to revisit the rationale and update the custom as
necessary. Contest sponsors should be doing everything they can to maximize
participation, and this includes recognizing that long contest weekends,
especially those scheduled on holidays, are not conducive to family harmony.

Let us not validate the perception that amateur radio is made up of a bunch
of stubborn old codgers who resist change...

73, Dick WC1M


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