[WWYC] WRTC 2006 & Young Teams

[Ethan Miller]

> Looking at simply contest scores are useless. A good score doesnt always
> tell who is a good operator or not. I mean, a guy from Italy with a dipole
> can kick my ass if we get aurora, even though I have yagis. I don't have any
> good ideas what to do with these selections. I guess that if you consider

This is the problem that has "plagued" WRTC almost since the beginning. 
I'm currently living in the "black hole" of USA, and the northern part at 
that (Minnesota).  There are a number of good operators here that will never
even have the opportunity to do WRTC simply because they can't turn out 
the scores that the guys on the coasts can.  Their best hope is to have 
someone who knows them pick them as a teammate.

There are a lot of excellent operators who never win contests.  However,
it's very difficult for judging committees to consider evidence beyond the
scores without knowing each operator individually.

That said, if someone is really serious, they'll do what it takes to go, 
even if that means guest-operating or even moving to a better QTH.  I 
think someone said something about "the social life of serious contesters 
suffers."  I'm the kind of guy who takes a break while running to call my
girlfriend on the telephone.  So, it won't be me...

73,

--Ethan, K8GU/0.  (aka W0YC and W0AIH from time to time...)