[CQ-Contest] Certificates for ARRL DX - a great motivator for new contesters

Thu Apr 5 09:13:19 EDT 2018

Well Mike,

Circumstances this year prevented me from hosting my usual M/S LP efforts.  In years past, I've tried to include relatively new or currently inactive hams in the invitations.

We've been fortunate enough to win certificates more than a few times in our category, at varying levels.

If you've seen the look on someone's face when they see their call on a certificate... let's just say that there is more to this than just the dollars and cents of processing and mailing certs. 

If you don't want them for yourself, and don't want the League (or whomever the contest sponsor is) to spend the money to send you wallpaper that will quickly get filed or recycled, that's fine.  I have no problem with that option being made available for the benefit of those who don't want the paper.

I simply disagree that doing this across the board is a wise decision.  Especially when the actual costs are probably relatively minor.  Yes, the funds could be redirected elsewhere... but would they? 

I don't know what the costs are, but I suspect that they're only around a hundred or three per contest, depending on how many certs are sent out.  Isn't this a relatively mere pittance?  So, if this is going to be reduced to simply a budget cost, maybe a better alternative would be to recruit a sponsor for the certs, just as we recruit sponsors for the plaques. 

IMHO, give those who don't or no longer want certs the ability to decline.  But don't deny them to everyone else simply because some don't want them.

73, ron W3WN

-----Original Message-----
From: W0MU Mike Fatchett <w0mu at w0mu.com>
To: Ron Notarius W3WN <wn3vaw at verizon.net>; cq-contest <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Wed, Apr 4, 2018 11:53 pm
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Certificates for ARRL DX - a great motivator for new contesters

How many certs do they mail for say ARRL DX  and how much is postage? 
Over a dollar for USA, not including the certificate and printing costs
and the envelope.   Overseas postage has gone up dramatically it is over
1 dollar for an letter.  I have no clue what a large envelope costs.  
Cost savings?  Every penny saved is a savings as there are no entry
fees.  Do these certificates turn people into ARRL members, who are not
already?  Probably not.   I bet there is close to $5.00 or more involved
with each Cert maybe more.

I am not suggesting adding entry fees but what is in it for the ARRL by
mailing them out?

W0MU

On 4/4/2018 8:38 PM, Ron Notarius W3WN wrote:
> Sorry Mike, I disagree.
>
> If someone does not wish a cert mailed, that's fine. Use the CERTIFICATES NO option then, it's easy enough to implement.
>
> But given the relatively small cost of mailing out a few certs, I don't see a major cost savings by dropping them.
>
> It may seem otherwise to the grizzled veterans on this reflector, but outside of this realm, I think you'll find more than a few souls who would be happy to keep getting those certs.
>
> Now even so, it should be easy enough to implement a "reprint" option for those who wish to download a cert, be it from a current contest or an old one. I don't see an issue with enabling an option to do so. But not as an "either/or" situation.
>
> As the young whippersnapper said to Dottie Henson, "Can't we do both?"
>
> 73, ron w3wn
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: CQ-Contest [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of W0MU Mike Fatchett
> Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2018 6:46 PM
> To: cq-contest at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Certificates for ARRL DX - a great motivator for new contesters
>
> Other than plaques the ARRL needs to go to a download your award system like CQ. This would eliminate the need for a Certificates NO.
>
> For marketing purposes I can see sending out certs to new people, but someone would have to stay on top of that and I don't see that happening.
>
> I was actually surprised that when I go to my account on the ARRL that I am not able to download previous certificates.
>
> W0MU
>
>
>
> On 4/4/2018 3:31 PM, Jim Stahl via CQ-Contest wrote:
>> Printed certificates do matter to experienced contesters; they are a
>> waste of the ARRL’s money. I’d rather have that money go to something
>> more useful like spectrum defense or RFI mitigation, than spending
>> over a dollar to send me a certificate saying I was the top low power
>> all band section award winner in a VHF contest. (I think they even
>> send those certificates to those who merely had the high score on a
>> single band.)
>>
>> ARRL ought to adopt support of the Cabrillo "CERTIFICATES: NO” tag. I’ve suggested this to my division director, who seemed receptive. But apparently at the last Board meeting there was too much other stuff going on.
>>
>>
>> 73 - Jim K8MR
>>
>>
>>
>>> On Apr 4, 2018, at 10:21 AM, rjairam at gmail.com wrote:
>>>
>>> I know that some contest sponsors have done away with printed
>>> certificates to cut costs, and this is understandable. I have no
>>> problem with keeping it sustainable.
>>>
>>> But I would just like to point out that I have seen quite a few
>>> people on social media sharing unexpected ARRL DX certificates. These
>>> are usually single op, low power entrants who decided to sit at the
>>> radio and work the contest even though they have zero chance of
>>> winning one of the big prizes. Some are even encouraged to try even
>>> harder and get into contesting more.
>>>
>>> I think if possible, at least for first time entries that contest
>>> sponsors should look to get the certificates to encourage these
>>> contesters. There is nothing like finding out that you did well
>>> enough to win *something* to encourage you into diving deeper into
>>> contesting. Online certifiicates are nice but there is nothing like
>>> opening the mailbox and finding a real certificate. This isn't really
>>> a participation trophy - these folks topped their section, or maybe
>>> earned a single band award. IARU also gives for 250 QSOs, which was
>>> my initial motivator for participating in the IARU contest and why it
>>> holds a special place for me.
>>>
>>> For experienced contesters like myself and others, printed
>>> certificates really don't matter - we go for the big awards or even
>>> just our callsign in the results column. So for us we can mostly opt
>>> out. But I think for the newcomers it is important,
>>>
>>> 73
>>> Ria, N2RJ
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> CQ-Contest at contesting.com
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