[UK-CONTEST] Contesting + support

don.field at gmail.com don.field at gmail.com
Thu Jul 17 09:48:55 EDT 2008


As others have said, well done to Tammie for sticking her head above the 
parapet. Too often we old-timer contesters get bogged down on this 
reflector with debates about the minutiae of contesting and forget that 
this is also a great medium for newer contesters to ask questions and have 
them answered.



While there may not be too many active contesters in your area and club 
Tammie, there are plenty of young contesters around - the Worldwide Young 
Contesters (http://www.wwyc.net/) is a very active and informal group, for 
example. Sadly there is no large contest club in the UK (equivalent, to, 
say, the Bavarian Contest Club in Germany) but the Chiltern DX Club does 
cater for those interested in contesting. 



I accept the point that has been made on here by some that an active 
contest group may not want to put inexperienced contesters on the key or 
mike and risk bringing down the rate, but some groups (thanks for the GM2T 
posting, for example) are prepared to take that risk while, in other cases, 
there may be much the same benefit from just getting invited to watch and 
learn. I was reminded at the weekend, talking to an instructor, that 
amateur radio is a bit like driving - you have to pass the test, then you 
have to learn how to drive :-)  (and I suspect that has been the same 
whether we are talking about the old RAE or the current system  - in the 
past many of us  would have served an apprenticship as an SWL, but that 
was by no means mandatory  - the present system does at least  include 
some practical elements).



As for an article in RadCom, the new editor (Elaine G4LFM) is very open to 
suggestions for topics, but will no doubt want something helpful and 
upbeat, not too dry. It needs someone to grasp this and run with it - I 
don't see it as my role as I have too much visibility already :-)



I hope Tammie and others like her continue to enjoy contesting. It's by no 
means just a case of getting on the air and shouting "5914" as some 
detractors suggest - there are elements of technical and operating skill, 
strategy and much more, as I hope will come out during the Contest 
University at the HFC this year (being organised by another young 
contester, Mark Haynes M0DXR). Incidentally, I see from Tammie's entry on 
qrz.com that she also enjoys rifle shooting, so don't upset her if you work 
her in a contest!!



Don G3XTT

Contest Committee Chairman







> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Tammie Evans
> Sent: 17/07/08 08:38 am
> To: uk-contest at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] Contesting + support
> 
> Hello all, have been reading the various messages over the last few days 
> or so and thought I would "jump" in.
> 
> I have only been licensed since August 2003 and was awfully mic-shy 
> until a fellow club member persuaded me that talking on the air really 
> wasn't so bad and no-one would laugh at me!  That happened in the start 
> of 2006 and since then I've taken part in Transmission, CQ WW SSB, CQ 
> WPX SSB and a couple of club events - I absolutely love contesting - I 
> may only be a "newbie" with not much experience (and not many points) 
> but it's great fun!
> 
> I'm afraid my club is small (too much politics over the years from what 
> I understand!) at the moment with around 30 members, but even when we 
> had around 60 members there is one person who opens up one of the club 
> rooms for the CC events and Windmills but it's never very serious 
> contesting, and extremely difficult to get anyone to operate!  There are 
> probably 5 or 6 members who do CC from home and send the scores in for 
> the club.  I've always found it to be a struggle to get the club to take 
> part in the big contests so I just do it with one other person who is 
> slowly becoming very interested in contesting!
> 
> Anyway, that's another "newbies" perspective on things... it's quite 
> funny really, I'm female (I seem to cause pile-ups which is very 
> nerve-racking!) and young which you don't seem to find in many radio 
> clubs!
> 
> 73 Tammie M3ENF
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