[CQ-Contest] IRLP Contest

[Jimk8mr@aol.com]

In a message dated 3/17/05 10:35:08 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
k4ik at subich.com writes:

Contesters and Dxers of all people, should understand the difficulty  
in protecting amateur access to the spectrum as well as the right to  
erect a tower sufficiently tall to be effective.  Can any of you  imagine 
facing a BZA (Board of Zoning Adjustment) with an anti-tower,  anti-ham 
Chairman who has had staff searching for a justification to  reject 
a tower application?  

Chairman:  "Sir, you claim  you need this 70' tower for effective 
DX communications.  Why do you not talk with those 
stations via IRLP or Echolink and your hand  held radio?" 




This sounds a lot like a debate between sailboat people and power boat  
people. Why do you need a sailboat if you can get there by power boat?
 
On my visits in Florida, I often get irritated (but only mildly since  I'm on 
vacation) waiting for drawbridges that have opened to let  sailboats pass 
through.  In most cases the bridges would not have  to be raised for a power boat.
 
I'm not into boating of either variety, but I suspect sailboat people know  a 
lot more about dealing with the sea, weather, etc.,  than power  boaters.
 
Do those who start with a power boat ever get into  sailing?   I'm not sure, 
but I suspect there are a few cases. I  do know that there are lots of places 
one can rent a small power boat, and  on a good day safely head out without 
knowing a whole lot about boating, and  thereby get exposed to the more general 
fun of being on the water.  
 
If that gets a newcomer into boating, and maybe later into the more  
sophisticated sailing variety, it's good for boating.  That a ham  newcomer might get 
into a low brow form of contesting (ILRP) sounds  good to me.  Some day he 
might want to move up and join us all  natural sailboat people.
 
 
73  -  Jim  K8MR