[UK-CONTEST] Fwd: Re: UK-Contest Digest, Vol 67, Issue 22

[CHRIS COLCLOUGH]

Sorry Geoff. Was meant to send to the list.
   
  Please read the message below.
   
  Chris 
  G1VDP

CHRIS COLCLOUGH <chrisg1vdp at btinternet.com> wrote:
  Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:42:40 +0100 (BST)
From: CHRIS COLCLOUGH <chrisg1vdp at btinternet.com>
Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] UK-Contest Digest, Vol 67, Issue 22
To: Geoffg4afj at aol.com

  Hello Geoff et al,
   
  Yes I am a member of CDXC Geoff, but just like on here it is preaching to the converted. Although it would be nice to get it in to the digest. I was refering more to RadCom, PW, Radio User etc which reach a far wider audience. 
   
  And having just read all the posts about encouraging newcomers and them being "brainwashed" this is an issue I have. One of the clubs I attend had the habit of saying to the newly licenced foundation boys and girls to go out and buy a "Yaesu FT817 and G5RV, that is all you need!" Now I am not one to knock this radio, or antenna, but at this stage of the sunspot cycle and with the many big signals swamping the bands this is no way to encourage them. 
   
  But again this is preaching to the converted. I think I will send the article in to Martyn and see what he has to say.
   
  And hope to see some of you at the CDXC AGM this weekend.
   
  Chris 
  G1VDP

Geoffg4afj at aol.com wrote:
  
In a message dated 15-Jul-08 09:24:57 PM GMT Daylight Time, 
uk-contest-request at contesting.com writes:

For example last year we put on what we thought was a competitive attempt in 
the CQWW Phone contest from a friends farm in West Wales. None of us had 
ever done this in a group of this size before, and we certainly had not put 6 
HF stations running legal limit on before. We had some new guys who had never 
entered a contest before, and even though we spoke to each other some of us 
had never met face to face. This did not stop us having fun and committing 
ourselves to having another go this year. But when we submitted the write up 
and photos for inclusion in any of the magazines it is not used. 

If I remember right someone mentioned encouraging people to take part in 
contests, and even trying to get new blood into the hobby (whether contesting, 
VHF, or construction) it is getting hard. Maybe this is because of what I say 
is true, it is still looked upon as slightly "elitist" to use a word that has 
been used somewhere on here before. 




Chris et al,

I think I would be inclined even at this late stage to contact the 
respective Editors of the magazines to find out why they did not publish it. I'm not 
sure whether you are a member of CDXC but that might be an interesting article 
for their Mag.

I would have thought that the approach of an inexperienced group to this 
challenge would have been of interest to a wider interest than just the elite 
contesters who read this group. Therein lies the rub. We are preaching to the 
converted here.

How did we all start? Probably down at the local club and we just had a bit 
of a go in a contest and liked it. How many of us are now members of a local 
club which caters for all interests or attempts to rather than a specialist 
contest group? And hasn't it got a bit harder to just have a bit of a go in a 
contest because you have to have computer logging and all the complications 
that go with that and rig control and and .....!! Bit daunting for a 
newcomer.

One of the critics of contesting who has written at least twice to Last Word 
about the takeover of the bands at weekends is a member of the work my pal 
in VK LP on 20m on Saturday morning club and thus feels he has nowhere else to 
go if an ssb contest takes over in "his" part of the band! He's probably 
not got aerials for another band that might be open around the same time, nor a 
linear and probably doesn't operate cw!

The word tolerance spring to mind!


73, Geoff, G4AFJ




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Chris Colclough
G1VDP

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