[CQ-Contest] Chiming in -- SO2R

[W0uo at cs.com]

Steve makes excellent points.  

The amateur service is a service of "self training", and contesting is an ideal means to that end. 

It has always been interesting to me that the rules for most contests state that awards will be given in each section, state, division, call area, or whatever local area with no mention of top ten lists, etc.  The development of top ten lists, etc is no more than the editorial policy of the sponsoring organization, and that can and should change. 

In my view, it would be constructive to recognize and emphasize year to year improements, solid efforts from difficult locations or during less than ideal conditions, improvements from prior efforts, etc. This follows the general advice from the One Minute Manager, praise each and every improvement. Some of this is being done, in terms of regional record scores, clean logs, etc.  Hopefully the contest reporters can improve on what has already been started.


73 de Jim
W0UO/5

Steve Root <steve.root at culligan4water.com> wrote:

>True, but I agree with Ward N0AX that the issue here is recognition.  
>...I think we can all agree that we need to encourage the casual operator. We need to mentor and assist new contestors, and that all of the contest recognition shouldn't fall to the same few people every time.

>It's very hard for a great operator with a small station in a poor
>geograhical location to be recognized as such.  The solution here isn't to
>penalize those who have invested enormous time and energy into building a
>big station or those who have learned how to operate 2 radios.  The solution is to develop a way to reward those efforts that may not end up in the Top >Ten box every year.
>
>73 Steve K0SR
>
>
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