[VHFcontesting] Re: [CQ-Contest] Re: [YCCC] Proposed QST changes, Hit 'em where it Hurts $$$

[John Geiger]

The league really started screwing the HFers and
VHFers when they pushed all new hams to get on 2 meter
FM.  When I was first licensed, back in 1980, the
point of entry license was the novice, and you had to
get on HF CW.  I did, and learned to love both HF and
CW.  These interests extended into VHF and UHF weak
signal operating-and contesting.

When the codeless tech came out, there were then 2
point of entries-the novice and the codeless tech. 
The league completely ignored the novice license as a
point of entry-even though it carried 10 meter SSB
privledges by this time.  Instead, they completely
pushed the codeless tech (because the novice might
actually require work, effort, and learning to get),
and steered all of those operators to 2 meter FM and
packet.  I do run 2 meter FM,but if that was my limit,
I would have probably quit ham radio and found
something more interesting to involve myself with.  

So far, the league has eliminated:

1. The novice roundup
2. The VHF/UHF fall sprints
3. The VHF/UHF spring sprints

I am sure that there are other contests they have
eliminated also, that slip my mind currently.  It is
too bad that CQ contest and CQVHF did not make it as
magazines.  I never really looked at CQ contest, but
did subscribe to CQVHF, and the thing that killed it,
in my opinion, was the low level it was written in. 
Most active weak signal VHFers found it to be
worthless.  Not sure what happened to CQ Contest.

SO, lets let the league screw us our of some more
contest coverage, support a plan to put anyone with
$10 testing fee on HF (by eliminate CW altogether),
and raise our dues in the meantime.  

See you all in the VHF contest this weekend, even
though my score will probably never make it in QST.

73s John NE0P





--- Bob Johnson <rjohnson at tmlp.com> wrote:
> Hi Jan:
> First, let me say that sometimes in order to get a
> mules attention, you
> need to
> hit it over the head with a 2X4 !!!  In the case of
> the League and the BOD the
> 2X4 is $$$$ !!!
> 
> You, having worked at the same company as me for
> many years can see what poor
> management decisions can do to destroy an
> organization !!!
> 
> When I look back at all the adverse decisions the
> BOD has made or endorsed
> thru
> the years, I become alarmed for the future of the
> League, QST, and Ham Radio.
> 
> You, as an active VHF'er should be able to look back
> and see what we have lost
> thanks to the BOD.
> - Elimination of the VUAC (VHF/UHF Activities
> Coordinating) committee.
> - Elimination of the "Spring Sprints" for VHF/UHF.
> - Severe cut backs in the space for "The World Above
> 50 MHz".
> - Severe cut backs in the reporting VUCC status.
> - Severe cut backs in the reporting of VHF/UHF
> Standings.
> 
> Now they are trying to make the same type of cut
> backs in HF activities area.
> - Elimination of the Novice contest.
> - Reduce HF contest reporting.
> - DXCC Honor Roll ???  Gota look back on that for
> the last one I saw.
> 
> Then of course there was the "Great Brain Surgeon"
> on the BOD who thought he
> could save a buck by not sending out a "ARRL
> Membership Certificates"  !!!  As
> part of the Field Organization, I'm out there trying
> to recruit new members
> for
> the League then when they only get a crummy little
> membership card guess who
> get yelled at !!!  A lot of our "ARRL Affiliated
> Clubs" have already dropped
> below the level required to maintain there
> affiliation and this type of thing
> doesn't help turn things around.
> 
> Stop and think about what the average "New Ham" gets
> out of there $39 ARRL
> membership, a membership card and a monthly
> magazine, PERIOD !!!  It takes
> them
> a while to find out what the League is all about. 
> Cut out the coverage of the
> various aspects of Ham Radio in QST, reduce the
> number of pages in QST and
> watch the membership (and Advertising) drop.
> 
> Foxboro management couldn't have done a better job
> !!!
> 
> 73
> Bob, K1VU
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> At 11:24 AM 01/12/02 , you wrote:
> >
> >Bob:
> >
> >I can understand your frustration regarding the
> cost cutting measures the
> >ARRL Board of Directors will consider this coming
> weekend at the ARRL
> >National Convention.  As you have heard on the
> reflectors, one of the cost
> >cutting measures under consideration is a modest
> reduction in the number of
> >pages in QST each month.  One of the items in QST
> that is being considered
> >for elimination, because of the page reduction, is
> contest results.
> >
> >Ever since this proposal was made public, there has
> been a significant
> >amount of e-mail both to ARRL and on the various
> reflectors in opposition to
> >the proposal.  I have read some of it, but not
> all.  What almost none of
> >those opposing the proposed action have addressed
> is how does ARRL cope with
> >declining membership, declining advertising
> revenue, and deficit financing?
> >There are approximately 120 employees of ARRL in
> Newington (and a few in the
> >Washington DC office), all of whom are paid
> salaries, although significantly
> >less than what they would make doing the same or
> similar jobs in the private
> >sector.  I am one of those employees.  In addition
> to maintaining staff in
> >Newington and DC, the ARRL has the expenses of
> maintaining its facilities,
> >W1AW, costs of mail, printing costs, .... in a
> nutshell, the costs of doing
> >business.
> >
> >Just recently, ARRL has created and filled a new
> position, that of chief
> >fund raiser (can't recall her correct title, but
> that's the general idea).
> >This new employee will be charged with solicitation
> of bequests and
> >donations, in much the same way that similar
> positions act at other
> >non-profit institutions, particularly schools and
> universities.  It is hoped
> >by the Board and all employees that aggressive
> voluntary funding
> >solicitation will offset some of the funding
> sources currently in decline.
> >
> >ARRL has been deficit funded in 2001.  If the Board
> does not accept the idea
> >of cutting back the expenditures on QST and other
> proposed cost cutting
> >measures at the upcoming Board meeting, then the
> only other choice they will
> >have is to deficit finance expenditures for 2002. 
> Any organization can only
> >engage in deficit financing for so long, before
> debts exceed assets, and it
> >goes out of business.
> >
> >It would be helpful for ARRL members to understand
> the financial pressures a
> >non-profit, membership based organization like ARRL
> is under.  I agree that
> >reducing the content of QST is, perhaps, not the
> best option.  As proposed,
> >the elimination or reduction of contest results
> from QST will not be well
> >accepted by the contest community.  I would be
> terribly disappointed myself
> >if the Board votes to solve its financing problems
> in this way.  But,
> >something has to give to accommodate the reduced
> membership based income and
> >advertising income.  In addition, significant
> efforts are being made now to
> >increase funding, as I alluded to above.  It is NOT
> helpful for ARRL members
> >to propose nasty tricks such as you have proposed
> to show their displeasure
> >with the situation.  It would be much more helpful,
> if you, and the many
> >other members who feel as you do, to encourage new
> hams to become ARRL
> >members.  It would be helpful if you would
> encourage more people to become
> >amateurs, go through the process of attending radio
> club meetings, take the
> >license exam training courses, etc.  These are the
> kinds of activities that
> >will, in the long run, help to save amateur radio
> and our national
> >organization.
> >
> >I would encourage you to look carefully into how
> ARRL works and how it funds
> >its membership based activities.  Simply reacting
> negatively to proposed
> >funding actions and services reductions without
> fully understanding the
> >issues driving these considerations does a
> disservice to yourself and the
> >amateur radio community.
> >
> >73,
> >
> >Jan Carman, K5MA
> >Book Team Manager
> >ARRL
> >Newington, CT
> >
> >Home:  k5ma at capecod.net
> >Work:  k5ma at arrl.org
> >
> >
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Bob Johnson" <rjohnson at tmlp.com>
> >To: <cq-contest at contesting.com>;
> <yccc at contesting.com>
> 
=== message truncated ===


=====
John Geiger
Assistant Professor, Cameron University
Ham Call NE0P, active 160-23cm
Kenwood TS2000, Kenwood TH31, Icom T81A
Now on RTTY, PSK, Hellschreiber, JT43, and HSMS with WSJT
SMIRK 5768, 10X 67581, 6 club 497
5BWAS, DXCC, 2 VUCCs on 50 mhz (Iowa, Illinois)

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