I've seen a lot of chatter lately that seems to impart the message
that we (contesters) would be better off by allowing Novices and Techs
to operate in the HF bands: that it would allow more contesters to be
brought into the fold.
Please think this thing thoroughly through. Think long and hard about
the ultimate consequence of opening the flood gates at the dam just to
get a drink of water. We might just drown ourselves and amateur radio
as we know it and turn our bands into a complex of CB type activity.
After having witnessed the tremendous influx of No-Coders (rapidly
approaching half the ham population) and the somewhat arrogant manner
in which a majority of them have flaunted their indifference to code
requirments and upgrading; their complete devotion to their local
2 meter repeater as though that were the entire Radio Universe; their
clamoring for more privileges without putting out any effort for an
upgrade (is this the welfare state syndrome: gimme, gimme, gimme?), I
am inclined to increase the requirements: Perhaps we should go back
to the 1 year HF CW only license of the Novice, remove HF privileges
of the No-Code Techs, and provide them with a real incentive to upgrade.
Please save the flames. This is my earnest thoughts on the manner. I
offer the above as a very real change in direction as an approach to
the problem of Novices and Techs that don't want to/won't upgrade.
On the flip side of the coin:, get off our duffs, get on the Novice
bands, contact those Novices that are trying to improve their code
speed, and upgrade, and give them QSOs; go out and recruit youngsters
(that have upgraded) into the wonders of the challenge of contesting
and evangelize our sport of contesting (and it is sport!) to these
and other General and above hams. Go to the local clubs and give talks
on the wonders of contesting and of talking to hams all over the whole
world, not just in our back yard via the local 2 meter repeater. Do
everything we can to increase other's enthusiasm for the sport and
avocation. But please don't open the flood gates just to get a drink
of water.
Rod, N5HV
w5hvv@aeneas.net
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