[CQ-Contest] Feb 04 QST op-ed article

[Bill Coleman]

On Jan 15, 2004, at 5:21 PM, KI9A at aol.com wrote:

> Take look at page 98 of the 2/04 QST....
>
> More non-contesters wanting to limit us to less than 100kc of 40!! 
> Plus the
> other bands. This guy is looking for our views on this proposal.

He starts off trying to sound so balanced, that he does both nets and 
contests. A quick web search on NF5B shows lots of hits about 
traffic-handling and other net-related activities, but zero on 
contests. Of course, he never sent in a log, so his call won't show up 
in the results.

He also says he doesn't want to hear the old saw about 30, 17 and 12m 
being contest free. (For that matter, he left out 60m, too!) OK fine.

But then we get to his proposal -- and it's the old saw that we need to 
establish contest-free zones on the bands.

And what do the contestors get for this courtesy? Nothing. It's the 
same passing of judgement on contest operation -- that it must not be 
worth anything, so lets restrict it.

So much for opening up a dialog. The dialog won't occur until BOTH 
sides recognise the values of the other's activities.



Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
             -- Wilbur Wright, 1901