[UK-CONTEST] encouraging youngsters

[Tim Hague]

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> Today's Topics:
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>    1. Re: Increasing VHF contest participation by newbies
>       (Andy Cunningham)
>    2. Re: Increasing VHF contest participation by newbies (Ray James)
>    3. Re: Increasing VHF contest participation by newbies (Peter Bowyer)
>    4. LZ DX Contest (Paul O'Kane)
>    5. Re: Increasing VHF contest participation by newbies (Ray James)
>    6. Re: Increasing VHF contest participation by newbies (Callum M0MCX)
>    7. Re: Increasing VHF contest participation by newbies (Ray James)
>    8. Re: Increasing VHF contest participation by newbies (Ray James)
>    9. Re: Increasing VHF contest participation by newbies (Peter Bowyer)
>   10. Re: Increasing VHF contest participation by newbies
>       (Andy Cunningham)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:50:21 +0000
> From: Andy Cunningham <andyc at andy-yvonne.demon.co.uk>
> Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] Increasing VHF contest participation by
> 	newbies
> To: david.barber at dbelectronics.co.uk
> Cc: uk-contest at contesting.com, 'Adrian Rees' <rees.a at btconnect.com>
> Message-ID: <4925A35D.7060003 at andy-yvonne.demon.co.uk>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
>
> David
>   
>> Until one can sell the fascination of the VHF / UHF / SHF bands to the
>> newcomer, no amount of rule changing - licence or contest - is going to
>> force them to migrate there for anything more than a chat on the local
>> repeater.
>>   
>>     
> I think that applies to HF as well. I've got lots of reactions along the 
> lines of "oh, do people still do that", and "why not just use the 
> internet". But there's a buzz that comes with knowing you made the 
> contact with this box and that bit of metal - not a gazillion tonnes of 
> fibre and routers - that's hard to explain to someone who hasn't 
> experienced it.
>
> Andy
> 2E0XAC
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:44:17 +0000 (GMT)
> From: Ray James <gm4cxm at yahoo.co.uk>
> Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] Increasing VHF contest participation by
> 	newbies
> To: uk-contest at contesting.com
> Message-ID: <151967.33898.qm at web25218.mail.ukl.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
>
> Hi all,
> Thanks to those who felt this important subject worthy of debate and constructive suggestion.
>
> I think the Austrian's have got the right idea myself with a power level of 100w on 144MHz for their beginners. Far from being a "disaster in the waiting", it represents a low enough level of power that would be adequate to produce satisfactory contest results and thereafter provide the potential for greater non-contest activity so a win, win situation.
> 100w on 144MHz is a fair power level for consistent tropo contacts, reasonable aurora and meteor scatter contacts and working some of the big guns via EME. It represents the first rung on a long ladder of learning and capture of a lasting interest within our hobby.   
>
> Whether we took the written exam, the tick box exam or the latest exam structure, all of us have learnt substantially more by being active and participating in our hobby. The same opportunity and encouragement should be equally accessible to those who are newbies who'll be the old hands when the majority of us are kicking up the daisies.
>  
> Adrian's suggestion regarding encouragement by attractive contest rules certainly is true. Other than some certificate's for "first time entrants", little to encourage newbies since the licence structure change has been evident. With the current UK power level limitations of 10w, 50w, 400w, it is certainly not a level playing field by any stretch of the imagination. 
>
> 73 Ray GM4CXM
> IO75TW GS
>
>
>
>       
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:08:42 +0000
> From: "Peter Bowyer" <peter at bowyer.org>
> Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] Increasing VHF contest participation by
> 	newbies
> To: "uk-contest at contesting.com" <uk-contest at contesting.com>
> Message-ID:
> 	<56152ae90811201208u4fae543dqc6b55ec64c050ca5 at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> 2008/11/20 Ray James <gm4cxm at yahoo.co.uk>:
>   
>> Adrian's suggestion regarding encouragement by attractive contest rules certainly is true. Other than some certificate's for "first time entrants", little to encourage newbies since the licence structure change has been evident. With the current UK power level limitations of 10w, 50w, 400w, it is certainly not a level playing field by any stretch of the imagination.
>>     
>
> There are no VHF certificates for first time entrants. There are, and
> have been for many years, certificates for the leading foundation and
> intermediate entrants in each section of every event.
>
> I wonder, have you read the rules you're campaigning against?
>
> Peter G4MJS
> (ex-VHFCC)
>   
Callum, I offered to put a station on at my local Scout troop...., 1st 
question, `have you been CRB checked?', end ot topic....
I have no problem in having it done but it can take 6 months around here..

The days of being able to show kids around the shack and putting a 
station on in a sout hut have been killed by `Daily Mail reading.., all 
men are rapist brigade'

Rant over

Tim M0AFJ