[UK-CONTEST] Contesting and the state of it

[Phil Cooper]

Evening all...........

Some very intersting points raised so far about the general state of
contesting in the UK.

I have to say that contesting is not everyone's cup of tea, and I really
don't think we can base the future of amateur radio on contesting.
Contesting is but one facet of our hobby, and there are others for whom a
contest is the last thing they see amateur radio for.

Personally, I am a contester, and yes, I too set out to "win". Not win the
contest, but I consider a "win" if I improve my ability and/or technique and
beat my previous score. Mind you, I do have loads of certificates for 1st
Place - Guernsey!
One other advantage of entering contests is to get your callsign known.
It is amazing the number of times I have been able to work some juicy DX,
simply because the op at the far end remembers my call from a contest.
Another point I would like to make is that entering a contest is fine, but I
am surprised at the number of people who make a serious effort in the
contest, and then never submit a log! Why not?
Some will not go to the trouble of creating a Cabrillo file, so why not just
submit a plain text file as a check-log?

Getting folk interested in contesting is what counts. If we can nurture that
spark seen in some of the newcomers, then maybe they will get the bug and
join in. I guess the 80m CC's have gone some way towards that.
The drawback - if there is one - is that this series of contests has now
become VERY competitive, and some M3's (especially) and others with smaller
stations have dropped out simply because they can't get heard.
On the other hand, is it so very wrong if someone takes their FL, and then
is quite happy to chat with friends on 40/80m?

Our own club used to do a lot of contesting, but interest in going to the
club for contests has waned, and I think this is mostly to do with the fact
that many of us now have far better stations at home.
Even 10 eyars ago, our club had a much better set-up than most individuals,
so we all went to the club to take part in whatever contests we could. Now,
we seem to do more from home.
I think this is a reflection of our own economic situation than anything
else.

Sorry for rambling a little, and yes, I know this is a contest forum!

73 all, and have a good weekend!
Phil GU0SUP



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