[CQ-Contest] QST Contest Results

[Drew Vonada-Smith]

Ed,


I share your sadness on this.  I wrote the ARRL DX results for a few years and generally managed about a 3 to 4 page article for the print version.  A more in depth version that I wrote was placed online with a link provided.  The explanation I always received was that "polling shows that contest results are one of the least popular items in the magazine".  This was NOT from the contest editor, Ward SIlver, a great guy...just from the CT powers that be.


On the last year I did the article, it was cut at the last minute from the one page of text I provided along with the tables, down to about half a page.  With the usual link to an online version.  This was said to be due to some last minute advertiser pullout.  But that was the last stroke for me - if it was only worth a page in QST, why was I putting all the effort in?  I dropped the job that year.


As I see it, contests are very popular events, among the highest in radio, and the current thinking dumbs down the magazine to the lowest common denominator of guys that don't operate...not the true ham hobbyists.  I always get strong denials on this, but just read the magazine.  A new dipole to build?  Operating mobile on your floating inner tube?  A highlight piece on some guy with a high profile job who isn't really on the air?  You all get my point.  *Yawn*


But, I don't see any of this as likely to change.  The focus is on numbers, not quality.


73,
Drew K3PA


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Message: 1
Date: Sun, 25 Aug 2019 18:57:14 -0400
From: Edward Sawyer <EdwardS at sbelectronics.com>
To: "cq-contest at contesting.com" <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Subject: [CQ-Contest] ARRL DX CW Contest in QST
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        <0D39B6681B67B44DAEC5D6AD99294A8E04CF403F59FA at SBEMAIL.sbelectronics.com>

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I am not sure if anyone else was struck like I was as to how sad it was that QST was down to 2 pages for the ARRL DX CW coverage in the August magazine.  No write-up, just some top 10 totals boxes and plaque winners.

I never understood why QST dumps virtually all of its adds in the back.  It's an advertiser's nightmare.  Why not allow a couple of advertisers to sponsor a 6 page spread per contest on the 2 ARRL DX contests and get their ads conspicuously displayed?  I am thinking they would be interested.

Ed  N1UR

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