[CQ-Contest] Newbie Assimilation

[Craig Cook]

I appreciate your comments. They remind me of others that I have heard. I do
believe that you can actually operate at a multi-op, otherwise there
wouldn't be any on the air, and there are! :-)
Some people even guest-op, which is fine if you can do it.

My experience has been that in 5 attempts, the answer has been no. So, I am
0 for 5 here. In N6TR's defense, since he was one of the 5 NOs, he DID
attempt to have me do something this past WWCW while he wasn't operating,
but the details were never worked out. I missed my one opportunity due to
family staying from out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday. I just
couldn't see leaving them here for 2 days while I went off to play. What a
coincidence that WWCW would fall on a holiday. Who knew? (sarcasm). Turned
out to be a pretty low-key weekend, and I might have been able to go anyway.
Again, who knew?

I'm not smart enough to put this into words, but there seems to be an
attitude with multi-ops where they may need operators, and may even say so
in their 3830 story. However, what they mean to say is they want known
bigshots or people who are already their pals, not just anyone. I didn't
understand that when I contacted a couple of them, now I do.

Maybe I'll re-do my home station in a few years and come back, if HF CW
contesting still exists.
--
73, Craig Cook - N7OR in Sandy, OR
======================================================

On 1/16/06, n5ot at n5ot.com <n5ot at n5ot.com> wrote:
>
> > No point. [snip]
>
> Craig,
>
> I for one appreciate the time you took to get this written down,
> OM.  I'm not sure what to tell you.  Like many things in social
> life, the contesting echelons are exclusive and cliquish, and
> that is, of course, daunting to an outsider.  Your note reads
> like you're a daunted outsider.
>
> Well Craig, *I* am in the club.  I will tell you (having been
> there) that I never heard of a guy who took the time to track
> down a Multi-op station owner and asked if they could come over
> and watch the operation as it unfolds, not to operate, but just
> to take in the spectacle, who:
>
> 1. was turned away
> 2. was not handed headphones to listen at some point
> 3. was not asked to "take the mic for a minute while I go to the
> bathroom" at some point
> 4. did not leave without the station owner noting name, call, and
> phone number
>
> The only problem is sometimes you have to sit there quietly for
> about 38 hours before someone remembers their manners and does #3
> above.  Hams on the whole are not known for their superb social
> skills.  Anyway, if you've got a weekend to burn (most good
> things cost you something), this will guarantee your being given
> your first opportunity to assimilate into "the club."  Jump!
> Take it!  The rest, as they say, will be history, and you'll find
> yourself invited to the next one.  Repeat after me "sure, I'd
> love to be 10 meter band captain!" (as in all things worth the
> wait, you have to work your way up).
>
> For a list of stations to try this with, see the contest results.
> You have to track them down; they're not going to come looking
> for you, but they'll be glad you went looking for THEM.
>
> Field Days used to work for this but now you have to be careful
> with Field Days - the level of quality at FD operations is
> inconsistent at best.  Be picky when you pick which FD party to
> crash - but if you pick a good one (like one with a dedicated CW
> station and you hang out with the CW guys) and again, wait until
> the guy sitting there can't stand it any longer and needs to go
> to the bathroom, you'll be set for life, because you'll be the
> one he turns to.  Put yourself in the right place at the right
> time, then be patient.
>
> Some of you guys reading this think I'm kidding.  I'm not.  What
> most of us have to remember is to be the one who offers the
> headphones, and the one who hands the mic to the newbie who's
> been watching for 38 hours so they can try it out.  Lord knows
> after 38 hours of watching YOU, they probably know what to do,
> and just need a chance to do it.
>
> Somebody at the W6KA Field Day FINALLY handed me the mic - at
> 2:00 in the morning - when I was 14.  I bet about half the
> readers on this list had a similar experience, and now they're in
> the club too.
>
> Mark, N5OT
>
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