[UK-CONTEST] Contesting + support

Wed Jul 16 10:56:24 EDT 2008

I too was very disappointed to read Roger G3LDI's post saying 
"Unfortunately it does not help when new licencees have been brain 
washed by their trainers, who are anti-contest." 

In my experience, from prep-school onwards, the best teachers / 
trainers have been the ones who have had the ability to impart their 
enthusiasm for the subject, not negative about one particular aspect of 
it  - I would have thought that this should apply to leisure pursuits 
as well.  How many fathers teaching their kids to swim tell them the 
Olympics is a bad thing?  How many geography teachers teach their 
pupils about the wonders of our planet but say "Avoid South America".  
etc, etc, etc.

Thankfully there are many good amateur radio instructors (incl my good 
pal Dave G4BUO) who have got a 100% positive attitude; long may this 
continue.

Some great points have been made and we should all be encouraged from 
them; the views aired in the last few reflectors would be one hell of a 
good read in "The Last Word".  
Is the Editor of RadCom a subscriber?

73 de Cris
GM4FAM

Thankfully this does not apply to all trainers Of course not all 
>trainers are anti-contest (I'm one myself) and maybe one way of 
tackling 
>this is at the introductory stage of the course - Nature of Amateur 
>Radio I think it's called - make sure this session is conducted by a 
>trainer who is pro-contest. Then you can leave the anti-contesters 
to 
>teach them about Ohm's Law etc.
>
>And, depending on how you structure your courses, even if you're not 
a 
>trainer there may be an opportunity to go along to the training 
sessions 
>and provide assistance and answer queries. So then, during the tea 
>breaks, you can educate the candidates about contesting and give a 
>positive view.
>
>Dave G4BUO
>
>
>Roger Cooke wrote:
>> Hi.
>> 
>>   We have a large club membership in Norwich, over 120. Trying to 
get 
>> members to take part in contests is worse than banging your head 
against
>> a wall! Unfortunately it does not help when new licencees have been 
brain
>> washed by their trainers, who are anti-contest. SO, it's an up-
hill 
>> struggle. I have been pushing CW for years and have converted quite 
a 
>> number, ecncouraging them to attend NFD, training evenings with 
N1MM and
>> general operating techniques and so on. 
>>   Two or three years ago, we had a regular 2 people send logs in 
for the
>> RSGB CC contest, myself and G3PDH. Now, we have about 8 to 10 logs 
and are
>> pushing more into training on CW, with the GB2CW broadcasts, two 
courses,
>> one for raw beginners and another taking them up to 25-30 wpm. 
>>    However, even SSB logs amount to about 10, and out of 120, not a 
tremendous result!  ( Mind you, I'm not keen on SSB contests either! )
>>   Most died-in-the-wool contesters have years of experience and we 
need to pass that on to the newbies, if they want to learn. But, so 
much adverse
>> publicity regarding bad operating, poor signal quality and 48 hour 
band occupancy - plus disregard for band plans have all taken their 
toll.
>>   Not only that, but most newbies come into the hobby and live in a 
typical modern plot, or postage stamp garden and cannot compete. So, 
they become disillusioned with trying. The only way they can gain 
experience is by joining a contest group, or operating from an already 
established amateur who has moved into a garden capable of housing a 
good antenna array.
>> 
>>    Now, we must have lots of good CW ops in this group, so how 
about joining the GB2CW schedule and offering your services for an hour 
or so per week to train the newbies? Come on, be an Elmer, I bet one 
helped you!!
>> 
>> Regards from Roger, G3LDI
>> Swardeston, Norfolk.
>> 
>> 
>
>
>------------------------------
>
>Message: 8
>Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:40:18 +0100
>From: "Ed - GW3SQX" <g3sqx at edtaylor.org>
>Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] IARU HF and GB7HQ
>To: "UK-Contest" <UK-Contest at contesting.com>
>Message-ID: <006901c8e738$de128680$0301a8c0 at TaylorPackB>
>Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
>	reply-type=original
>
>
>G3VAO writes:
>
>"A suggestion for the organisers of GB7HQ.   Why not use G7HQ, GM7HQ, 
GW7HQ, 
>GI7HQ, GU7HQ and GJ7HQ?"
>
>This is tied in with discussions about vanity (or "self-assigned") 
>callsigns, and some of us have been banging on about it for some 
time.
>
>One day, maybe calls such as G7HQ, M1DX, or even G0ED would be part 
of a 
>vanity call system, where Full Licensees could have a nice new 
shortish 
>callsign if they wanted it.  The new Ofcom software was supposed to 
make 
>this easier, but the suggestion seems to have been sidelined, 
unfortunately.
>
>The idea of country-specific Special Event calls, instead of (or as 
well as) 
>the GB prefix, is simply solved if there is the will to do it.  The 
format
>G999X, GM23AB, etc
>is not allocated, and would solve the problem.  So take the country 
prefix 
>(G, GW, M, MD, or maybe 2E, 2U etc.), and between 2 and 4 digits.  
Add 
>between 2 and 4 letters and you can cover all eventualities.
>
>So HQ stations could be G55HQ, GM55HQ or whatever.  The 65th 
anniversary of 
>the Belfast Association of Albatross Fanciers would use the call 
GI65BAAF. 
>Sorted!
>
>73,
>
>Ed, GW3SQX
>
>
>
>
>------------------------------
>
>Message: 9
>Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:54:44 +0100
>From: Colin <colin at g3psm.net>
>Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] IARU HF and GB7HQ
>To: UK-Contest <uk-contest at contesting.com>
>Message-ID: <487DE184.5010802 at g3psm.net>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
>Ed,
>
>Not sidelined but bogged down in Ofcom's PC legal department.
>
>Apparently the issuing of 'special' callsigns to Full Licencees only 
>would disadvantage those holding other classes of licences.   There 
are 
>times when I feel like throwing myself off the balconies at Ofcom!
>
>Discussions continue.
>
>73
>
>Colin, G3PSM
>
>
>Ed - GW3SQX wrote:
>> This is tied in with discussions about vanity (or "self-assigned") 
>> callsigns, and some of us have been banging on about it for some 
time.
>>
>> One day, maybe calls such as G7HQ, M1DX, or even G0ED would be part 
of a 
>> vanity call system, where Full Licensees could have a nice new 
shortish 
>> callsign if they wanted it.  The new Ofcom software was supposed to 
make 
>> this easier, but the suggestion seems to have been sidelined, 
unfortunately.
>>
>>   
>
>
>
>------------------------------
>
>Message: 10
>Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:59:31 -0000
>From: "Les Allwood" <g3vqo at mapleleaf.plus.com>
>Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] IARU HF and GB7HQ
>To: "UK-Contest" <UK-Contest at contesting.com>
>Message-ID: <001501c8e73b$681c7000$0200a8c0 at SHACK>
>Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>> 
>> The 65th anniversary of the Belfast Association of Albatross 
>> Fanciers would use the call GI65BAAF. Sorted!
>> 
>
>That will upset ex-members of 65 Squadron, Bechuanaland Auxiliary Air 
Force!
>;)
>
>73 de Les, G3VQO
>
>------------------------------
>
>_______________________________________________
>UK-Contest mailing list
>UK-Contest at contesting.com
>http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/uk-contest
>
>
>End of UK-Contest Digest, Vol 67, Issue 23
>******************************************
>

__________________________________________________________

Free games for all the family - http://www.tiscali.co.uk/play
__________________________________________________________