[CQ-Contest] CQ WW Survey results - part 1

Matt Murphy matt at nq6n.com
Thu Dec 17 17:46:12 EST 2015 

"Please copy" is a non-optimal way to exchange information over a radio
channel b/c it takes time to say and doesn't significantly improve the
chances that the station at the other end will successfully copy what
follows.

There are lots of things that new hams do because they have not had enough
experience to realize that doing them doesn't help the situation.  Another
example is saying things extremely slowly (like someone might talk to a
young child) rather than at repeated a few times at normal speed. Another
is speaking very loudly (with compression it's not necessary at all and can
make things worse).

Fortunately the day to day experience of operating helps provide evidence
that none of these techniques are helpful.  It's rare that I have a rate
high enough that a caller saying "please copy" slows it down significantly.

I am not sure of this but I think "please copy" is also used as a form of
etiquette in some net operations.

I'd recommend taking a moment to slow down and give out a tip or two during
a run.  The contest community is full of wisdom and mentorship, and it can
even be squeezed in between Q's.

73,
Matt NQ6N

On Thu, Dec 17, 2015 at 3:27 PM, Michael Schulz <mschulz at creative-chaos.com>
wrote:

> I guess the "Please copy ..." comes from maybe their first exposure to
> "contesting" during Field Day
> which is not a contest (yes it is, and we're going to win it anyway). And
> yes, leading by example is the
> way to go, but at the same time it needs to be pointed out not necessarily
> as wrong, but as not best
> practice for numerous reasons.
>
> 73 Mike K5TRI
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: CQ-Contest [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf
> > Of Tom Haavisto
> > Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2015 10:44 AM
> > To: Marty s <0246811 at gmail.com>
> > Cc: cq-contest <cq-contest at contesting.com>
> > Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] CQ WW Survey results - part 1
> >
> > Hi Marty
> >
> > Glad to see there are some young contesters here.
> >
> > Please don't focus on things others are doing wrong like "Please copy..."
> > We all learn from our mistakes, and we get better through practice and
> > participation.
> >
> > Having fun is what it is all about, and that would be the message I
> suggest
> > you pass along to your friends.  Contesting IS fun, and things better
> better
> > the more they participate.  As they emulate what they see and hear others
> > doing, the "please copy" will gradually disappear without them even being
> > aware of it.
> >
> >
> > Tom - VE3CX
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Dec 17, 2015 at 1:04 PM, Marty s <0246811 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > I agree, I spend a lot of my time getting more young hams involved. I
> > > am 13, and am fairly active in the contests. There are plenty of young
> > > kids getting into the hobby, but not anywhere as many into contesting.
> > > I know close to 45 kids in the hobby, and maybe 5 are into contesting
> > > somewhat, and only 3 of us, care enough to keep the butt in the chair,
> > > or have a hint of skill (Don't make me tell you about the kids who
> > > start all exchanges with "Please copy":) I think if we target the kids
> > > in the hobby who are really seriously interested, and give the
> > > resources, there will be more contesting young people. I know I wound
> > > not know much about contesting without all of my Elmers in the YCCC,
> > > or being invited to a multi-multi during CQ WW this year. Just my 2
> cents.
> > >
> > >
> > > Marty
> > >
> > > This email may contain confidential and/or privileged information.  If
> > >
> > > you are not the intended recipient, or if you have received this email
> > >
> > > in error, then please notify the sender immediately and destroy this
> email.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Thu, Dec 17, 2015 at 11:37 AM, Michael Schulz <
> > > mschulz at creative-chaos.com
> > > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > Interesting results which show that if you want to be successful, be
> > > closer
> > > > to or in Europe :).
> > > >
> > > > Regarding the age distribution, I see this concern all the time that
> > > there
> > > > are declining numbers based on age
> > > > and that amateur radio will be dead when the last old hams died.
> > > > This
> > > seems
> > > > to be always then be tied to
> > > > youth not coming into the hobby at a higher rate. How about a
> > > > different lens in which one would look at influx of new hams
> > > > regardless of age? Do we need 90% (making an extreme example) of
> > new
> > > > hams to be <18 years old?
> > > > Especially in contesting, the 40+ age group (I find myself in that
> > > bracket)
> > > > would seem more likely to engage in
> > > > contesting as new-comers given that by that time in life, things
> > > > have settled more overall, and disposable income is (ideally)
> > > > greater as compared to the 16 - 20 or 20 - 30 age brackets.
> > > >
> > > > Thoughts?
> > > >
> > > > 73 Mike K5TRI
> > > >
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: CQ-Contest [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On
> > > > > Behalf Of David Gilbert
> > > > > Sent: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 9:49 PM
> > > > > To: cq-contest at contesting.com
> > > > > Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] CQ WW Survey results - part 1
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > I don't find the age distribution to be surprising at all.  Age
> > > > > data
> > > from
> > > > the All
> > > > > Asian contest exchange looks similar.  Look at the pictures from
> > > > > Dayton
> > > > or
> > > > > any club meeting and compare them to pictures taken 30 years ago
> ...
> > > > pretty
> > > > > much all you see are people that are 30 years older.
> > > > >
> > > > > Somebody I was speaking to once claimed that the average age of
> > > > > ham
> > > radio
> > > > > ops in the U.S. increased at least one year every 1.5 years. Seems
> > > about
> > > > right
> > > > > to me.
> > > > >
> > > > > 73,
> > > > > Dave  AB7E
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > On 12/16/2015 5:41 PM, Randy Thompson K5ZD wrote:
> > > > > > There is a new blog post with the first results from the CQ WW
> > > Contest
> > > > > > survey that was open during September 2015.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > http://cqww.com/blog/2015-cq-ww-survey-results-part-1/
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > This first post cover demographic information about the
> responses.
> > > > > > The most striking finding is how old we are!
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Comments and discussion are welcome.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Randy, K5ZD
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > _______________________________________________
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> > > > > > CQ-Contest at contesting.com
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> > > > > >
> > > > >
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