[CQ-Contest] Inspiration or ?

[Barkey, Patrick M.]

Forgive me, but I have often detected what I
think is a simplistic notion that people with
multiple towers, monoband stacks, etc. have
access to economic resources that are beyond
what others can ever have.

I recall once sitting across a restaurant booth
with a contester (who worked as an engineer
for a Fortune 500 company) who said that he
didn't have the "big bucks" to build up a station
like "W1XXX."  The "W1XXX" in question happened
to be a public schoolteacher!

What we see in profiles of stations like W4AN,
K4JA, and, yes, K8CC, are the products of what
are essentially lifetime committments to station-
building and competitive contesting.  Limited
financial resources have made some hams stretch
their building plans over longer lengths of time,
resort to flea market bargains and other
creative means to acquire equipment and parts,
or forego vacations, new cars, or other
discretionary spending to focus on station
building.

Is that inspiring or deflating?  A little of both, I
suspect.  If you're learning how to play guitar,
seeing Andre Segovia play won't do much for
your self-esteem, but you can still admire the
accomplishment.  And maybe even pick up a few
tidbits.

Not everyone has the same level of committment to
the sport of contesting that these folks have.  But
that's what's great about contesting, because it
doesn't stop you from going out and having a blast!

   - Pat
     N9RV


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