Sorry, I'd forgotten mailshots to the reflector need a registered email address.
Now pursuaded webmail to send it!

----- Original Message -----
From: Gmail
To: UK Contest reflector
Sent: Sunday, July 09, 2006 12:06 PM
Subject: GB5HQ


Well, I took the K2 with me on this trip, largely to see whether any of the
adverse comments made earlier on re selection of stations/operators had any
justification in practice. Comments are as follows:

1. Although most were fine, some of the night and even a few of the day ops of
GB5HQ stations weren't in the same league as the major competitors. One or two
were down-right embarrassing to listen to.
2. Although both 15 and 10 were (amazingly) open all night and most of the
other HQ stations were taking full advantage of this, GB5HQ apparently went to
sleep for much of the time.

Conclusions:

The concern expressed earlier that operators are selected for spurious networking
or old-boy reasons appears at least partly justified. Although GB5HQ is "the
station of the RSGB", the RSGB appears to have no involvement in the organisation
of the entity that is representing them and remedying this would provide the
missing transparency. A points system for qualifying operators, evidencing
concrete past achievement, is clearly required.
No more than 2 or at most 3 operators are needed in any band mode for a 24 hour
event, assuming dual run and mult stations.

A prestigious international event such as this is not the occasion for acquiring
experience and expertise, but for demonstrating it. Perhaps it all comes down to
the British way of doing things, however it would be interesting to know how the
main competitors organise their arrangements. In the meantime, any expectation
of winning from GB5HQ will need to involve an entirely ruthless (read non-PC)
approach to organisation and manning. Compare with any other international
sporting event: - one manager (NOT station managers) and he selects the team or,
manager administers a team selected by results.

Note the above is an observation, in an attempt to explain our lack of success in
these events, despite the planning and investment by many of those concerned.

Regards

Peter G3LET 

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