[CQ-Contest] ARRL and Contesting

[Mike Kasrich]

Hey I like the blinking light on my hat!  It's in a Foster's Beer bottle 
cap.  I award a blinking bottle cap to a deserving SMCer at Dayton.  I 
think KE9I, K9PG, NA9D and W9WU have received one to date.  Instead of 
cursing the darkness turn on a blinking light like we in the Loyal and 
Mysterious Order of the Blinking Bottle cap do.

As to the line scores I miss them too but understand math I suppose.  
Whether Field Day is an operating event or not is immaterial .  The 
reason those scores are in QST is because of the wide range of appeal 
the event has to the "SOTB" types and they all want to see their group's 
name in lights after the event.  (I love reading the FD line scores some 
of the group names are quite unique.  Everyone can you say "Bozo and the 
Lids" class 1A? Love that name).

The present QST contest score situation in my opinion does leave a bit 
to be desired.  It's sort of like having the baseball season in full but 
then instead of the news appearing nationwide, a letter is mailed only 
to the other players letting them know who is the HR King, World Series 
winner, MVP etc.

I have had the regular Joe ham on occasion in the past tell me on the 
local repeater that they saw my call in QST and congrats!  Usually it 
lead to some talk on contests and an extra qso the next year.  That all 
is missing now it's seems.

73
mike/aj9c