[CQ-Contest] Observations of a young ham

[Tucker McGuire]

Hi Mike,

For your questions...

I am curious how you became a ham.  What was the driving force?

I got interested in radio starting out as an SWL. I was fascinated that I
could pick up international signals with just simple wires. Soon enough I
was tired of just listening and wanted to transmit so I got licensed. I
wanted to talk around the world. Later got hooked on contesting after being
invited to a multi-op by N1LN.

Is a family member a ham/contester?

My dad is licensed but he is not active. He just got licensed because I
decided to.

Do you have a local club you are in?

Yes. I am a member of PVRC. I am active in the NC East Chapter. I am also
currently Vice President of my county's local club (Non contesting club)
the Orange County Radio Amateurs.

Do you have other friends around your same age that you radio with?

There aren't really any other youth locally that are licensed.

As far as awards and incentives for big station owners elmering and
offering assistance to new and young hams, PVRC actually offers a plaque
awarded by the president, to those large station owners that take the time
and elmer and invite new operators into the shack to operate.

The scoreboard feature is rapidly growing in popularity and great ops that
put in huge scores such as KL9A (TI5W) are using this feature now so that
is a good sign.

Cheers & 73,
Tucker
W4FS

On Dec 20, 2016 1:12 PM, "W0MU Mike Fatchett" <w0mu at w0mu.com> wrote:

> Tucker,
>
> Thanks for your comments!
>
> I think you have the ham radio and contesting bug for much of the same
> reasons that all of us here do.    Is there a way lure others over with
> flashy screens, scoreboards or other ways to get them interested in hooked?
>
> I am curious how you became a ham.  What was the driving force?
>
> Is a family member a ham/contester?
>
> Do you have a local club you are in?
>
> Do you have other friends around your same age that you radio with?
>
>
> We have another young person that wants to see a scoreboard feature.  This
> is a call out to out top competitors who have been pushing back the hardest
> on this. Are you ready to yet to give this a try or is winning that $60.00
> plaque still more important than trying something that can have a lasting
> effect on the hobby and possibly bring new blood to our sport?  Are you
> still convinced that some how your competitor will find out all your
> secrets and beat you from a scoreboard?    Do you see any value or fun when
> we are all hooked up together and we see that W1AA just broke a million
> points or worked a double mult or got his sweep or worked a real juicy new
> one?  I disagree on not making it required as you need to have 100 buy in.
> In gaming we don't get to choose if we use the scoreboard or not it is an
> inherent part of the game or esport.
>
> From reading the younger perspective I think we, including myself are not
> reaching out and inviting these young people into our shacks enough.  If
> you are, thank you!  I am going to try to reach out more and suggest our
> Contest club start some type of outreach program.
>
> How about a new Rookie &Vet class or at least go out of our way recognize
> people that are doing this type of thing for our sport?
>
> W0MU
>
>
>
>
> On 12/20/2016 7:20 AM, Tucker McGuire wrote:
>
>> *OK. I have been watching this thread for a while now and figured I'd give
>> my 2 cents.  I am an 18 yr old operator and my main interests are
>> contesting and DX'ing.  I'll go through and address the issues the OP's
>> son
>> has with the radiosport/amateur radio in general.*
>>
>> 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.
>>
>> *This is somewhat true. I most certainly do NOT have a super station. Just
>> 100 watts and a wire actually and I still have a good time when operating
>> from home.  No matter where you are in the USA there is most likely a
>> large
>> contest station within driving distance. In my experience if a local
>> contest station owner gets wind that there's a youth operator interested
>> in
>> contesting, they're very generous and offer to let said young guy operate
>> a
>> contest using their station. You have to network to meet these station
>> owners and be proactive to do so. Opportunities are there, you just have
>> to
>> seek them out. *
>>
>> 2. You have to invest a lot of time to get good.  If he can not have a
>> really good station then why invest the time to get good if you are not
>> going to be able to really compete.
>>
>> *Yes. You DO have to invest time to get good just like with ANY other
>> competitive sport/activity. "Practice makes perfect" and sometimes
>> practice
>> consumes time.  I refer back to my answer to #1 as far as "If he can't
>> have
>> a really good station why invest the time?".*
>>
>> 2. The tools we use to contest, logging software, packet look like old dos
>> programs.  He called them ugly and boring.  He is used to amazing graphics
>> in games.  I found this observation interesting.  I feel that the tools we
>> have are pretty good and give me what I want to see readily available.  I
>> was not expecting this answer.
>>
>> *OK. These are logging programs. They are fairly simple so why do they
>> need
>> to be "flashy".  I look at logging programs like I look at Microsoft
>> Office, It's has a simple interface and basic display but it gets the job
>> done, and gets the job done very effectively. Not every program has to be
>> super flashy, just needs to work effectively.*
>>
>> 3. He is far more interested in using packet where he can immediately
>> chase
>> things.  Packet essentially gives him a list of things to do or goals.  It
>> is more visual so more interesting.  He thought that more automated
>> systems
>> would be interesting.  Young people and even us older folk expect things
>> to
>> happen much faster.  They are the generation of instant satisfaction and
>> some of that even rubs off on us older folk.
>>
>> *Packet is great. I really enjoy using spots during contests and it keeps
>> my attention up and "in the game" for longer.*
>>
>> 4.  Talking to someone over the airwaves is still pretty cool. You can
>> instantly talk around the world if the right condx exist, but we can talk
>> all over the world with our phones so it is not as amazing as it once was.
>>
>> *For me, the appeal of talking around the world with my radio is that I
>> did
>> it using antennas and equipment that I built. Sure you can talk around the
>> world on a cell phone, but I didn't build a whole cellular network so
>> there's not really any satisfaction in it because it isn't work of my own.
>> The satisfaction of building something yourself  that works and you can
>> make contacts with is really an awesome feeling.*
>>
>> 5. CW is interesting but he was surprised that we don't have better code
>> readers.  While he would like to learn the code time is once again the
>> factor.  They have so many other outlets for entertainment that it is hard
>> to find time for all of them.
>>
>> *CW is my favorite mode, and I'm not exactly Pro-codereaders.
>> Controversial
>> but I believe I don't think code readers should be allowed in CW contests
>> (Leaving it at that. Just wanted to let my opinion be known for background
>> info). "Time is once again the factor". I realize that some folks are
>> really busy but if you truly want to learn CW you'll sit down and learn
>> it.
>> If not that's fine too. You don't HAVE to learn CW to contest or be active
>> in ham radio but I know as a teenager I had plenty of time to set aside to
>> learn CW enough to get on the air with that mode. If a person really has
>> an
>> interest in learning the code they can set aside enough time. It doesn't
>> require a ton.*
>>
>> 6.  Results take far too long to come out
>>
>> *There are thousands of logs submitted in the typical DX contest. Log
>> checking is done by only a handful of volunteers. They want to make sure
>> that whoever wins, dserves it and that their log was scored correctly, so
>> they take their time. I understand this completely. Sometimes I wish that
>> log checking was quicker too but at this point in time, it is what it is.
>> Patience is a virtue and if we're being completely honest, is something
>> some kids/teenagers/youth, are lacking.*
>>
>> 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.
>>
>> *I like this suggestion. I personally like watching the real-time scoring
>> on cqcontest.net <http://cqcontest.net>. It's very entertaining. I don't
>> think everyone should be REQUIRED to use it though. I do think it should
>> be
>> encouraged to use this system though.*
>>
>> 6. Playing radio in the car driving is fun because there is not much else
>> to do but drive.
>>
>> *Yep. Operating mobile is a lot of fun.*
>>
>> 7. He has his general license but he does not have the technical skills or
>> electronic knowledge to build a shack or decent station.  I am not a great
>> teacher especially to my own kids so I take some of the blame for this but
>> it is hard to teach people things when they don't want to devote much time
>> to it.  I feel a reluctance to even try to do something without having the
>> proper knowledge.  A far cry from when I was young and tried all sorts of
>> silly antennas and projects that mostly failed miserably but boy did I
>> learn from those mistakes.
>>
>> *We have the internet. There are SO many great resources online to teach
>> yourself basic electronics and learn about antenna designs.  If that's not
>> an option, get out to a local club meeting and network with folks. I've
>> found that the smartest electrical engineers and station builders are
>> always willing to lend a helping hand and share their knowledge.  If
>> that's
>> not an option then perhaps he just doesn't WANT to build a station,
>> experiment with antennas, etc. That's fine too but you can't blame that on
>> lack of resources (Internet, Local operators).*
>>
>>
>>
>> *OK. Off of my soapbox. Ham radio is a really fun and rewarding hobby and
>> I've met lots of great people thanks to the hobby. Hope your son finds it
>> rewarding as well.*
>>
>>
>> *Cheers & 73,*
>> *Tucker*
>>
>> *W4FS*
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Dec 20, 2016 at 7:28 AM, Ken Low <kenke3x at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> K2WR wrote:
>>>
>>> "There is something (or many somethings) that is failing to attract the
>>> younger generation(s) that nobody has quite identified yet."
>>>
>>> I think it's easily identifiable:  that 'something' is the social aspect.
>>>   Gaming is an excellent comparison.   Example:   My 18-year old was
>>> accepted Early Decision to college last week and within 24-hours he was
>>> already playing League of Legends with a group of his future Class of
>>> 2021's.  Kids bond around an activity. Can you imagine one of them saying
>>> "Hi - hope to work you in CQWPX CW next Spring!"
>>>
>>> Yes - you will occasionally find a teenager with the patience to learn
>>> about propagation, or (God forbid) learn Morse Code, and Amateur Radio
>>> may
>>> be additive  to that kid's life.
>>>
>>> But what most kids really want is friends, fun, social acceptance and a
>>> competitive outlet. Contesting may have satisfied some of those basic
>>> needs
>>> in the 1970's but today there are more efficient outlets.   The
>>> technology
>>> has moved forward - but human nature has not changed.
>>>
>>> Disclaimer:   I have 3 kids (ages 22, 21 and 18) with General class
>>> licenses and one who competed for Team USA in High Speed Telegraphy.
>>>  They
>>> all started with Radio Merit Badge in Scouts.   If they do any contesting
>>> at all, it's only because Dad invites them to help with a family
>>> Multi-Op.
>>>   They would never sit down at the radio themselves, mostly because none
>>> of
>>> their friends are on the other end of the airwaves.    My 11-year old
>>> will
>>> do Radio Merit Badge next year to learn the basic principles, and maybe
>>> he'll get his Technician license, but I anticipate a similar outcome to
>>> his
>>> brothers' after that.
>>>
>>> 73,
>>>
>>> Ken KE3X
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