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

[Bob Naumann - N5NJ]

I cannot believe that we are giving this idea any thought of being the way =
to go for *any* contests.

I am tired of hearing this sort of thing from non-contesters all the time, =
and I'm increasingly dissappointed in how our "leaders" seem to give this t=
ype of thinking any validity whatsoever.

The fact is that lots of people operate contests.  The spectrum is a shared=
 resource - globally!

There are what - maybe 6 weekends a year where phone contests use up most o=
f the phone bands?  I'm thinking CQWW, ARRL, WPX, SS, + one or two others -=
 maybe.  Well, you don't need a calculator to see that most of the year, i.=
e. about 46 weeks don't have major SSB contests.  Seems pretty fair to non-=
contesters from my perspective.

Some of the opponents want to be able to use "their" frequency, every day, =
year round, without QRM.  Well, what's wrong with telling them to get real?=
  Their expectation is completely unrealistic.  =


First of all, they do not recognize the shared nature of the spectrum.  Tha=
t means they do not have exclusive rights to any of it, at any time.  Why i=
s this fundamental concept so difficult for them to recognize?

I have no problem with people who don't want to contest.  Fine.  They have =
about 350+ days a year to do whatever they want without a major SSB contest=
 messing it up.

Where's the beef?

Signed,

Disgusted and ready to throw in the towel on ham radio if this keeps up.

N5NJ  =