[UK-CONTEST] NCJ and other stuff

[Clive Whelan]

G4BUO wrote

<< Doesn't anyone on the uk-contest reflector subscribe to NCJ? >>


I suspect that those entering international contests do subscribe, but being
realistic, this is a sizeable minority. As we well know, there is no "G (et
al) works the world" contest, and HFCC are right -in the current climate-
not to promote such an event, which simply would not work; evidence the
dismal support for the 21/28Mhz events in this respect. However, we as
contesters, and HFCC as our corporate representatives should-i.m.o.- be
seriously concerned about this, since much smaller countries such as ON and
PA0, can sustain such events, not to mention the WAG, REF, and SAC events.

Do I understand the reasons for this?; I believe I do, at least some
thereof. We are a nation of some 60 million inhabitants, squashed into the
area of one state of the U.S.A. ( Texas i.e.), which means that many of us
have postage stamp gardens, or-as in my own case- live in environmentally
sensitive areas, implying inevitably that we have punk antennas. A corollary
to this argument is that feeding 400 watts RF into such an antenna in close
proximity to RF sensitive consumer devices, is a recipe for trouble. Frankly
running 100 watts to e.g. a multiband vertical or wire in an interbnational
contest, is not terribly enjoyable. Trust me, even 400 watts ditto is not
much better, I've been there! One of my former bosses, infuriatingly opined,
that that in life , there were no problems simply opportunities. Equally
infuriatingly, he was to some extent correct. Thus I am somewhat
disappointed, that the average G does not see that operating in adverse
situations is an opportunity to "learn the trade", but equally I acknowledge
that the wearing of hair shirts is very much an acquired art!

Can anything be done to address this situation?; I believe it can. The idea
of "contests within contests" has been suggested a number of times, but
seems to have fallen on deaf ears. I would strongly urge HFCC to promote
such a scheme in major events such as WAE, CQWW, ARRLDX etc, and to recycle
some of the redundant trophies currently gathering dust at Potter's Bar-e.g.
7Mhz DX et al.


73

Clive
GW3NJW