[CQ-Contest] Attracting Contesters

[Ward Silver]

from Kelly, VE4XT

> Has QST dumbed down? I'd hardly consider a treatise on PIC programming
> "dumbing down." Is QST attempting to bring new contesters into SS, DX, etc?
> I sure as hell hope so.
> 
> Will the status quo of running just the rules do that? Not in a million
> sunspot cycles. WE get the information we need from the running of rules,
> but potential newbies skip right past. I think things like "Why you should
> operate this contest?" are great. Bravo.
> 
> It's the same with the post-contest writeups. Page after page of grey will
> not help sell contesting. Well-written contest reports with humour and
> anecdotes play much better into the hands of people who could take or leave
> contest reports. Those are the people QST needs to reach.

Thank you, Kelly.  Guys and gals...please consider which is more likely to cause a casual or non-contester to get on and operate...

This year - "Special Interest: Operators will travel to many interesting DX locations..."

or 

Last year's - "6.6.4. DXpedition scores may be included in the Medium and Unlimited club totals only."

We need to stop breathing our own exhaust and start selling others on what a whale of a lot of fun they can be having doing some contesting.  As I posted last week - the biggest challenge we have is reaching out to other hams.  This is one example of how to do it - by removing dry rules-and-regulations and replacing it with a little sizzle.  If you have better ideas for the sizzle, then by all means, let's have 'em!!

73, Ward N0AX


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