[CQ-Contest] Rescue efforts for HQ-category in IARU contest

[Christian Schneider]

Why is it that IARU itself spoke nothing official on the issue – at least as
far as we “Joe Verticals” are able to find on the net? The competition under
the IARU-title is THE contesting showcase of the Union. Now there is a
serious debate about an essential issue of the most prestigious category
involving top teams of the national societies. The administering society
ARRL says “I don´t want anymore because of “behavior that is contrary to the
IARU objective of promoting international goodwill and friendship” (quote
from ARRL´s statement).

 

What happens? On the pages of the Swiss Amateur Radio Union (USKA) one can
find a german language statement of an IARU region 1 official who recommends
to continue with HQ-preparations as there will be closed door talks two
weeks prior to the contest with association officials and HQ-teamleaders for
rules´ modifications. 

 

Doesn´t the IARU support the position of ARRL about its own contest? Or does
IARU say: ”Let the HQ-teams outsource the competition into their own hands
alone” – kind of a professional league seperated from the other structures?
At least it will be interesting to see whether and how EA- and
DL-representatives in this new group will deal with the foreseeable
URE-protest against DA0HQ-operation in 2010 (at least URE doesn´t seem to be
calmed by the actual ARRL-reaction).

 

Of course, the future of a category in a contest doesn´t decide about the
future of hamming – but those giving the contest its title are not expected
to be silent when a major part of it is in a crucial situation – especially
when this contest were aimed at activating hams beyond the regular
contesting-community. Now there are talks how to best rescue the
topgun-competition. 

 

Smallpistol perspective.

 

73, Chris 

 

(www.dl8mbs.de)