[CQ-Contest] QST - View of a UK Member

[Dave Lawley]

Yes, I'm an ARRL member but unlike you people in the US there
is no director to whom I can write to express my view. I am a member
solely in order to see contest results in QST, so with the change, 
which seems to be a fait accompli, of moving contest results out of 
the magazine, I can save myself some money.

However, I think it is an extremely bad move. About ten years ago
the Deputy Editor of the RSGB's magazine Radcom suggested
that in order to save space only the top ten scores for each RSGB
contest should be reported in the magazine. My response was that if
they were really intent on this sort of change, it would be better to show 
the bottom ten scores. These are the people who want to see their 
callsign in the magazine for the first time, and then strive to improve 
their score next time. Similarly, the casual contester isn't going to look 
hard on the web to see his score, where in the past he could find it in 
QST.

On the other hand we diehard contesters will go and look on the web
for results, but the marginalisation of contesting is dangerous. Already
I have seen two postings on here suggesting entry fees for contests.
We know we have problems attracting new contesters, imagine telling
them they have to pay up for every event they enter as well!

73 and good luck with the fight

Dave G4BUO


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