Topband: ARRL 160M Test Comments

[Herb Schoenbohm]

On 12/8/2011 8:22 AM, Eddy Swynar wrote:
> Hi Guys,
>
> If each&  every one of the contributors (and there are many!) to this thread about the 160-meter contest was to take pen&  paper in hand&  actually WRITE to his/her representative on the ARRL Contest Committee---with a "cc" to the committee chairman---I'm sure the numbers alone would make them sit up&  listen...
>

Eddy,  I have been sending them (ARRL CAC)  e mails for the last decade 
and only a few have replied with "we will look into it" but that is 
about it.  There is something about the ARRL that they go into a bunker 
mode mindset when even friendly suggestions are made to improve on 
obvious structural contest mistakes. I am a member of the ARRL and that 
membership should at least allow access to the CAC.  I wish their 
meetings would be transparent and we could present arguments in writing 
on agenda issues.  IMHO that is the way an open organization is supposed 
to work.  Again after 10 years of writing on this I have no idea if the 
matter of correcting the ARRL 160 meter contest problems was even 
discussed or voted on.  In their January 2011 Annual Report the CAC did 
mention that improvements to the ARRL International DX Contest, "upon 
instructions from the PSC"  (whatever that is) " by tasking the CAC to 
review the rules for possible improvement."

I have no idea why the  PSC (Programs and Service Committee)  is another 
level of bureacracy needed to improve contests except that the PSC is 
made up entirely of ARRL Directors and ARRL staff.  If it is true that 
the PSC "instructs" the CAC then the PSC needs to be informed of the 
obvious deficiency of the ARRL 160 Meter DX Contest.

I will keep trying to contact CAC members but I don't hold out much hope 
they will even deal with this. And as they don't more and more Top Band 
regulars are deciding like myself not to participate anymore until they 
at least realize the issues on this contest are value ones to consider.

73,

Herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ