[UK-CONTEST] New CQ WW Category

[Clive Whelan]

Bob

Let me equally avoid any doubt by saying that historically I have found 
myself in agreement with the vast majority of what you write, and 
paradoxically have sometimes found myself at odds with some of Paul's 
views. However in this matter I find myself in clear agreement with Paul.

It is clearly true that there can be no universal definition of amateur 
radio, but then that is true of almost anything under the sun. People 
get passionate about certain aspects of life, and if I am correct that 
all three of us are " of a certain age" then our views of amateur radio 
are coloured by it's twentieth century provenance, and are therefore 
passionate. My earliest recollections of radio date from the early 
fifties when my grandfather showed me his crystal set and let me listen 
to some medium wave BC station or other on his S.G. Brown headphones. 
Here were signals  coming "out of thin air" using nothing more than a 
"cat's whisker" , a coil, and a pair of headphones; I was hooked! My 
interest then went into abeyance for a few years while I negotiated the 
rocky road of teenage angst, but by 1959 I had discovered amateur radio, 
and the rest is history!

By this time I employed the technology of the era, being an R107, a home 
brew 6L6 VFO/807 PA  tx., a step change from the cat's whisker ( more 
like the dog's b******s really)!  However the point was ( still is) 
that  the signals  I was hearing and working  were still coming " out of 
thin air"  with no more than  a half sized G5RV  made from some scrap  
enamelled wire strung between a couple of old wooden scaffold poles. 
Later on my station developed and like you, I used the infamous 
electronic keyer, home brewed ca. 1966 (?). Later still I acquired 
commercial gear, and eventually succumbed to computer logging, using a 
programme written by a certain EI5DI! Huge changes in technology, and 
hardly a home brewed piece of gear to be seen in my present shack, but 
did I mention?, the signals are till coming out of thin air!

Now let's turn to CQ magazine. They are in the business of selling 
magazines, and clearly believe that promoting Xtreme contesting is in 
their commercial interests, about which they may well be correct. I 
compare this to the current T20 cricket tournament, which is being 
talked up by a load of overpaid ( imo) pundits who I suspect actually 
abhor the game and don't really believe it is cricket, if the bite marks 
on their tongues are any indication. Nothing wrong with any of this, T20 
is a bit of fun, but cricket it is not. Equally Xtreme contesting may be 
fun to some, but amateur radio it is not.

As the Byrds once sang

"To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven"

You may turn if you wish, this OM's not for turning.

73


Clive
GW3NJW



Bob Henderson wrote:
> Paul
>
> Let me avoid any doubt by stating clearly that I hold an entirely different
> view of what constitutes amateur radio to your own.
>
> You have described well what amateur radio means to you but any implication
> that this definition is or should be universal is just plain daft.  You
> won't be surprised at this statement because we had this discussion at the
> lakeside during the HFC last year.
>
> Amateur radio is a very broad church with many perspectives held.
>
> A number of my friends hold that use of radio equipment not home made is NOT
> amateur radio.  I respect their perspective but do not share it despite I
> use home made equipment.
>
> About 40 years ago when I started to use an el-bug an elderly amateur with a
> G6 two letter call told me what I was doing was not amateur radio.  I
> laughed at this but he would never work me while ever I used that el-bug.
>
> I know of other amateurs from that era who felt moved to abandon amateur
> radio due to the growing influence of computers.  You have a lot to answer
> for.  :-)
>
> Once a licence is gained for use of the amateur spectrum, we are free to use
> it in any way not precluded in that licence.  Thank heavens there are so
> many folks with different interests and views.  That's what keeps the hobby
> and life in general so interesting.
>
> I applaud CQ for introduction of the Extreme category.  Its existence
> increases the possibility that activity within more restricted categories
> will stay reasonably true to the rules and spirit of those categories.  It
> will also likely attract folks to contesting who might otherwise not
> bother.  More activity is good.
>
> Bravo CQ.  Long live diversity of interest in this great hobby of ours.
>
> 73
>
> Bob, 5B4AGN
>
> 2009/6/11 Paul O'Kane <pokane at ei5di.com>
>
>   
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Callum m0mcx" <callum at mccormick.uk.com>
>>
>>     
>>> They did give it a new name, they called it "Xtreme"
>>> category.
>>>       
>> That's correct, and the implication is that it's an
>> extreme form of amateur radio contesting.
>>
>> There's just one problem - once you use something other
>> than amateur-band RF in the signal path between the two
>> people concerned, it's no longer amateur radio - or does
>> anyone defend the argument "Of course I'm still sailing -
>> it's only a little engine."
>>
>>     
>>>  But you need to get over this Paul.
>>>       
>> There's nothing to get over - Xtreme contesting is a
>> perfectly valid pursuit in its own right, it just happens
>> to be something other than amateur radio - you need to get
>> over this Callum :-)
>>
>>     
>>> There really are some people that genuinely get
>>> turned on by pushing all this stuff. It's fun.
>>>       
>> I can think of a few other things that are fun and turn
>> me on, but no one pretends they're amateur radio.
>>
>>     
>>> These people don't want to live in a current technology
>>> world, they want to experiment with new things.
>>>       
>> Here we go again with the same old hoary arguments. Imagine
>> going fishing with a fly at the end of a line - how dreary
>> and how primitive!  Enthusiasts do that for its own sake -
>> if they introduced "new technology" to make it more fun, it
>> would soon have to be called something else.
>>
>>     
>>> You must let them move along this footpath rather than
>>> knocking it.
>>>       
>> Knocking it?  I'm explaining how it differs from amateur
>> radio. When I want to mix RF and the internet, I connect
>> to Skype with my wireless broadband link.
>>
>>     
>>> There are a dozen very experienced, extremely capable
>>> individuals who can motivate this large body of people from
>>> their position of status and you are one of them.
>>>       
>> My interest is in motivating people to use amateur-band RF
>> for amateur radio QSOs.
>>
>>     
>>>  You must let technology run its course.
>>>       
>> Once again, by the same logic, all racing sailboats should
>> use engines, and cyclists should use motors, and fly-fishermen
>> should use nets (or explosives - they're much more effective).
>>
>>     
>>> If you don't and verbalise as such, the whole community will
>>> believe that there's something wrong with progress.
>>>       
>> It all depends on which direction you're progressing :-)
>>
>>     
>>> let it happen. Encourage it. You can still have an unassisted,
>>> single op category and I won't think any different about what
>>> you are doing.
>>>       
>> I am an amateur radio enthusiast, not a communications
>> enthusiast.  I have no interest in working stations that
>> use professional broadcasting and relay techniques, no
>> matter how advanced the technology may be.  As a radio
>> amateur, I expect to contact people through the medium of
>> amateur-band RF.
>>
>>     
>>> Let us both respect each side of the debate
>>> rather than ridiculing it out of court.
>>>       
>> If anyone feels ridiculed, could it be from trying to defend
>> the indefensible?   :-)  This notion of extreme contesting
>> is as inappropriate as extreme athletics would be.  How
>> about allowing trampolines in high-jumping?  Now, that would
>> be progress - the simple application of technology. We would
>> soon see a few new records.
>>
>> 73,
>> Paul EI5DI
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>>
>>     
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