[CQ-Contest] Interesting Youth In Ham Radio

[John Geiger]

Probably the main way that many contesters were introduced to contesting is
in Field Day.  I know that was my first introduction to it.  Hopefully most
local clubs are still doing Field Day and introducing new hams to it.

73 John AF5CC

On Thu, Nov 16, 2017 at 11:00 AM, Joe <nss at mwt.net> wrote:

> I find 99% of the reason someone doesn't try contesting is the fear factor.
>
> HONESTLY!
>
> They tune in the bands and it's all mayhem everywhere!
>
> It is human nature to not like anything you do not understand.
>
> And to a non contester when they tune into the bands on a major contest
> weekend like what is coming up.  Well they say what a mess, and nothing
> makes any sense, etc.
>
> The main problem is to getting them to learn what it is all about.
> Not by articles, or anything, but a kind elmer sitting them in front of a
> radio and explaining everything that is happening. And actually do it!
>
> I have made many contesters that way. Actually every single non contester
> that I have actually gotten to sit down and actually try it, has gone on to
> keep doing it on their own! 100%
>
> The problem is getting them to even try it at all.
>
> And this weekend I hope to have 6 or so more. I am taking two long time
> hams but have never contested,  and 4 newly licensed (less than a year, and
> one only a month or so) and never ever even been on HF at all. And I'm
> putting them on the air in SS this weekend.
>
> Wish me luck!
> W9ET, WB9SBD
> Sig
> The Original Rolling Ball Clock
> Idle Tyme
> Idle-Tyme.com
> http://www.idle-tyme.com
> On 11/16/2017 8:36 AM, Ed Sawyer wrote:
>
>> Ha - speak for yourself Ken.  At 55.  I hope I have another decade past
>> that
>> dire prediction.  Don't think "all contesters" are SS contesters.  There
>> are
>> lots of 50s and 40s year olds out there - especially outside of the US -
>> that are very active contesters.  And as we retire, we have MORE time for
>> contests - not less.  Ironically, I predict a surge in contest activity
>> over
>> the next 10 years - not a decline.  After that, the aging problem vs new
>> entrants will start showing its head.
>>
>>
>> For our lifetimes - I believe the new contesters come from amateurs that
>> already exist and can be pulled in as Ria suggests.  But not if the only
>> reason they are amateurs is to control drones or due experiments where
>> wifi
>> data is needed.  They need to find communication magic to have a chance to
>> be interested.  They also need to be competitive personalities to see the
>> contest as intriguing.
>>
>>
>> Technical Universities are the one of the best spots to recruit I think.
>> Putting efforts there - rather than trying to see whether gamers are
>> somehow
>> going to like contesting is much more fruitful - in my opinion.
>>
>>
>> Having WRTC qualifying be an extension of Field Day would be a "killer
>> app"
>> in my opinion.
>>
>>
>> 73
>>
>>
>> Ed  N1UR
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> From: Ktfrog007 at aol.com [mailto:Ktfrog007 at aol.com]
>> Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2017 8:57 AM
>> To: sawyered at earthlink.net; rjairam at gmail.com
>> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Interesting Youth In Ham Radio
>>
>>
>> Hi Ed,
>>
>>
>> In the next 2 decades, most of us contesters will be dead.  I'll ask to be
>> buried with my key paddle.
>>
>>
>> We need new blood from whatever group of hams.  Where are these new niche
>> contester supposed to come from?  Cloning us?
>>
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> Ken, AB1J
>>
>>
>> In a message dated 2017-11-15 10:45:01 P.M. Coordinated Universal Ti,
>> rjairam at gmail.com writes:
>>
>> On Wed, Nov 15, 2017 at 5:31 AM, Ed Sawyer <sawyered at earthlink.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Hey guys.  Since this is a Contest Reflector, can we stay on topic?
>>>
>> Getting
>>
>>> youth interested in High Altitude Ballooning or using their 2M rig while
>>> offroading is not contributing to the contesting community.  And with a
>>> couple of million licensed ham operators around the globe and probably
>>>
>> less
>>
>>> than 25 - 30,000 showing up in HF Contest or DXpedition logs, there's
>>>
>> really
>>
>>> very little correlation between those macro numbers and HF Contesting.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The issue for our contesting world is not macro, its niche.  The ham
>>> community could cut by 75% in the next 2 decades but the remaining crowd
>>> having more interest in the competitive aspect is WAY more meaningful to
>>> contesting than the opposite.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 73
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Ed  N1UR
>>>
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>>
>>
>
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