[UK-CONTEST] July Radcom - BERU.

[brian coyne]

Old Tlmer - "Hi Tingtang how you been doin'?"  (Tingtang is my blog nickname).
 
Tintang - "Ok I guess, been mooching around, been too darned hot and the mossies have been a real menace this year, keepin' us indoors a lot, at least I have done a few more contests than normally would."
 
Old Timer - "Yep, I just got my July Radcom and see the beru results in there and you made 23rd place, that looks pretty good to me".
 
Tingtang - "Does it"?
 
Old Timer - "Why not"?
 
Tingtang - "Well those tables are pretty meaningless".
 
Old Timer - " How do you mean"?
 
Tingtang - " It doesn't really match like with like. Take the UK guys, they need to work far harder than any other countries, get bored mindless with no propagation overnight and have very few stn's to work who are anywhere close.
Also I don't agree with with the 12 hour category."
 
Old Timer - "Yes but that's the way it has always been and the UK have their own awards"
 
Tingtang - " Just 'cos it has always been that way doesn't mean it has to stay that way. It's about activity and motivation and encouraging more participation from newbies, we old hands are dying out". 
 
Old Timer - "How would you change it"?
 
Tingtang - "Well that is a question that has taxed various HFCC Committees over the years and they never managed to come up with an answer. I think part of the reason for that is the Committee is comprised of experienced and well equipped operators who are also committed to retaining tradition", their minds need to be concentrated."
 
Old Timer - "It's all very well to say that and easy to criticise, but I asked what you would do"?
 
Tingtang - "We need to think outside the box as that modern term says. Invite suggestions from the membership and then run the numbers on the various scenarios. One suggestion again to be put forward is for  UK stns to be able to work each other. That would also not only increase activity but encourage new participation. Easy enough to put into 
practice. Often suggested before and rejected but surely now achievable with computers to take care of scoring. Those who prefer the original format entries can elect to have their 'G' contacts disregarded in the same way that a single band entry can have other band contacts disregarded in modern contests, I'm sure computer gurus could take care of that.
Of course it will need addition of another section and the Committee will just hate that!"
 
Old Timer - "So what's your objection to the 12 hour section then"?
 
Tingtang - "Originally introduced at the request of guys who were short of time!. Why acceed to this request?, those fellers would still have put in aavailable time anyway. This is not a busy contest. Ways needed to be found to increase activity, this move has had the effect of reducing it because what we have seen is big gun stns moving here chasing 
prizes. Let's face it, there were already too many dead hours. In effect reducing to 12 hours hasn't cost them a lot in terms of overall scores, look at the results and you will see what I mean. So, many guys in vk/zl and other far off places don't get chance to hear uk and vice versa because they are both on offtimes. Introducing this section and, moreover, 
creating awards for it was a nonsense! "
 
Old Timer - "Hmm, you do not sound a happy bunny - anything else"?
 
Tingtang - "Yep, there is no interaction with our Committee"
 
Old Timer -" What do you mean by that"?
 
Tingtang - "Here is an issue which is personal to me.  A few months ago, following the last Beru, I addressed  to Committee a request for them to consider the addition of a section for Triband/single wires, similar to the CQWW/WPX events, as any low power stn is never going to compete. Quite rightly we need to be separated from lp wires only but 
likewise 100w  does nothing compared to 1KW + , especially on the low bands. We need our own category, it is demoralising to work hard at something in the knowlege that nothing will ever be achieved .The Radcom report concludes 'No major changes are contemplated to the rules for 2010' Was my proposal discussed? I really wouldn't know as, far from an explanation as to why the request denied, I never had  any acknowlegement whatsoever. totally ignored.
 
Old Timer - "So why continue to support beru, have you not thought about boycotting it"?
 
Tingtang - " Only very briefly, and immediately dismissed the notion, boycotts only hurt those who excercise them, nobody else cares, besides I love beru and am fully committed to it. Going back 4/5 years beru was in trouble with falling numbers. There was  a lively thread (see the archives) on the UK Contest Reflector where we all pitched in ideas. I came 
up with the suggestion of an international  team competition ( the ManchesterCommonwealth Games were due to take place that year) which I felt could kick start this contest if we could involve a bit of national pride and international competition.
I was delighted when the committee took this on board the following year, proving that they do listen sometimes although despite taking subsequent credit for the innovation I don't recall the HFCC  Reflector getting a mention. It was the membership  through the medium of this forum which brought about  this change, not the Committee"
 
Old Timer - ."Do you think these things are likely to change?"
 
Tintang - "Doubt it, nobody writes letters to committee anymore, time was when this Reflector was a lively place where ideas could be aired knowing Committee were taking notice, now we just see apathy, better to see guys coming back shooting flames than just silence which allows Committee to sit on their laurels."
 
Old Timer -  "Some of your sentiments may not be shared by the membership"
 
Tingtang -  "Likely not, some will, some won't but it would be nice to see some debate going on here from time to time, it's become a dull place, and besides, in the immortal words of  Rhett Butler 'I don't give a damn!'
 
 
73  Tingtang (aka 5B4AIZ/C4Z/G40DV).