[CQ-Contest] Observations of a young ham

[Joe]

On 12/18/2016 10:18 PM, W0MU Mike Fatchett wrote:
> My comments below:
>
> On 12/18/2016 8:24 PM, Taylor Kelly wrote:
>>> On Dec 18, 2016, at 11:42 AM, W0MU Mike Fatchett <w0mu at w0mu.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> I had the opportunity to talk to my son in more detail and ask him 
>>> why contesting does not interest him.  Here is what we discussed.
>>>
>>> 1.  Cost to get in the game and have a chance to win is 
>>> prohibitive.  You need a great station, land, etc to really win or 
>>> compete.  The playing field is so unbalanced that it becomes a show 
>>> stopper.  For him he has no costs when at home.  I consider my 
>>> station modest with a 70 ft tower and land to put up Inv L's and 
>>> full sized 80m verticals and some receiving antennas.  I could do 
>>> more but we have horses and they need to roam and are hell on things 
>>> in the pasture.
In my situation, 100 watts and a vertical I know I will never ever 
"WIN"  But you CAN "WIN" in another way! My "WIN" is beating the last 
time I entered in the contest.  Did I do better against myself than 
previous times? If not then in what "Place" did I place compared to past 
attempts.


> Can’t argue this point. The software we have is superb to our needs, 
> but it’s hardly attractive.
> Is making a fancy front end going to make things more interesting,

NO, the more plain and clear is what's Important.
> if we could even define what that would be?  Not sure.....I explained 
> paper logging and big monster dupe sheets and how we used to try to 
> dupe JA calls.  He looked at me like I was nuts!  I think we were.  
> Underline JK, Circle JH, box JI  and do it while logging the contact 
> and working the next guy!  We did this!
Personally I always liked the dupe sheets that were the combination of 
the last number in the call and the first letter after the number 
determined where the call went in the dupe sheet. so in my case someone 
who worked me would place me in the 9S slot.   Then it matters not 
anything about the prefix.
>
>>
>>> 7.  He proposed that all participants use a scoreboard type system.  
>>> Many of us have said this was something we need to do but have 
>>> instead met with amazing resistance and a ton of excuses why people 
>>> refuse to use it. A system where everyone can check it out and see 
>>> what is going in in the contest.  We are back to visuals.
The "Live" scoreboard I have mixed feelings on. It's kind of like any 
contest that has a serial number in it. Sometimes you are amazed and in 
awe that the guy you just worked has 1000 Q's in his log and you just 
gave him #333.

And then depending on your own "Mood"? You get all Pissed off when you 
been trying your hardest and have 333 Q's in your log, and the Guy you 
just worked has 1000! You think why bother? I'll never Win.

Unless you do the "Win" as described earlier.
>>>
>> I think that could work with the right safeguards in place.
What do you mean by safeguards?

Joe WB9SBD
>
> W0MU
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> CQ-Contest mailing list
> CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest