[Mldxcc] We Won the Gavel!

Wed May 25 14:51:13 EDT 2016

I'll note that both Stu (K6TU) and I independently wrote the new Contest Branch Manager about a month ago.  Thanks to Jeff for the support and that adds a third email, perhaps with a bit more weight.  Perhaps next year, assuming there is a next year, both MLDXCC and PL259 will get a bit more attention in the write up.  [Look for NCCC to do SS in 2017 but NOT 2016]
Chris' note specifically refers to a close race between PL259 and and the New Mexico Big River Contesters.  The co-authors of the Sweepstakes article, K5TA and AA5B, submitted SS logs on behalf of New Mexico Big River Contesters.  Some would argue that the mention of PL-259 and MLDXCC only once in the four paragraph section about the Affiliated Club Competition, and both in the same sentence, was sour grapes.  If so, and I prefer to think that this is not the case, perhaps both guys thought that only one mention of both the Medium and Local club winners would diminish any intentional minimizing of PL259's win over their own club.
The MLDXCC win was not only the club's first SS win but the club's first win for any ARRL contest.
BobW1RH

      From: Chris Tate - N6WM <ctate at ewnetinc.com>
 To: Jeff Stai <wk6i.jeff at gmail.com>; "k6lrn at arrl.net" <k6lrn at arrl.net> 
Cc: MLDXCC <mldxcc at contesting.com>
 Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2016 10:42 AM
 Subject: Re: [Mldxcc] We Won the Gavel!

Jeff,

there may be a little bit more than meets the eye to this affect as well.

The article was written by several members of a club that suffered a narrow defeat for the small club gavel. (bad idea).  It would have been much more reasonable to have it written by a more objective author. 

The contesting branch was in transition at this time and even they should have probably reached out to another source to get the feedback to write a more balanced publication. their summary of the club competition missed a number of important milestones of both the medium and small club categories.

I am avoiding the usual complaint that they simply do not capture information about contesting from the west coast, nor do they seem to really care but focus on the east coast big scorers.  A problem that I hope the new ARRL leadership will address as they fall into their new respective permissions (ARRL PREZ, and contest branch chair).

Just my 2 cents.  Thanks for being willing to reach out to these folks and let them know.

~Chris
N6WM

________________________________________
From: Mldxcc [mldxcc-bounces at contesting.com] on behalf of Jeff Stai [wk6i.jeff at gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2016 10:10 AM
To: k6lrn at arrl.net
Cc: MLDXCC
Subject: Re: [Mldxcc] We Won the Gavel!

So, because I write the ARRL RTTY Roundup article, I have a little insight.

The current (recently decided) editorial direction for QST is to print tables of results - top tens, clubs, etc. - photos, and text that doesn't necessarily speak to results but rather about the contest in general, conditions, and so on. Going forward you will seldom if ever see anything about the club awards in the printed version.

I am told this was based on reader response, not anything unilateral.

The online version has no constraints and can go on for pages and pages.

Sweeps is probably unique in that the club competition is split across two contests, and therefore two writeups done by two authors. Neither author really owns the club writeup, so therefore that portion was written by the "Contest Branch".

ARRL is all about participation. I'd like to think that they waxed on for three paragraphs about PVRC because they were able to get 300 logs submitted at an average 60K per log, not because of the proximity and familiarity to HQ. You can form your own conclusions...

That said I think the efforts of the MLDXCC to get 47 logs turned in - our average was over 84K per log - from our sparsely populated portion of California/Nevada are no less impressive. I'll write a note to the powers to that effect.

73 jeff wk6i

On Wed, May 25, 2016 at 9:30 AM, Dick Wilson <k6lrn12 at gmail.com<mailto:k6lrn12 at gmail.com>> wrote:
Yes, the only mention was one line in the staff comments in the on-line
article...like an after-thought.
Kinda discouraging...maybe we have to make an effort this year and,
maybe, just maybe we'll get two lines in '16 write-up.

Dick

On 5/25/2016 8:39 AM, Dennis Moore wrote:

The write-up on the November Sweepstakes doesn't mention anything about clubs, maybe they took that whole section out. It is nice to see us listed at the top of the club list in the medium category.

73, Dennis NJ6G

On 4/27/2016 10:42 AM, Robert Hess via Mldxcc wrote:
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/ContestResults/2015/2015%20Phone%20Sweepstakes%20-%20Full%20Results%20-%20Version%201_03.pdf>http://www.arrl.org/files/file/ContestResults/2015/2015%20Phone%20Sweepstakes%20-%20Full%20Results%20-%20Version%201_03.pdf

I'm a bit annoyed that MLDXCC, and PL259 for that matter, got very little comment from the author.  It was all about PVRC winning the Unlimited Category.  Nevertheless, we as a club should relish in a terrific win and knocking off SCCC.

Congratulations to the little club that could!.

Bob
W1RH

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