Rod,
Hi, you were "dropped in" as the person for us DX members of ARRL to
contact. (K1KI was the culprit HiHi)
I do fully understand the cost pressures that exist with magazines. Here at
the WIA we face a crisis as the Yeasu agent in Australia has just decided
not to advertise anymore.
However, in terms of contest reporting ,I believe that it is part of the
active encouragement of good operating by national associations. There is no
substitute for little Johnny or Jane seeing their call in print for the
first time even if it is at the bottom of the list.
The main justification for my spending a lot of money to get QST is the
contest results. I guess I will just have to put that money to my web
account in future.
I think the ARRL is making a serious mistake. I have been in marketing for a
long time (retired now) and I can assure you that I would not give twopence
(like a bent nickel!) for a survey done of ARRL members by an outside body
that does not understand the make up of the Ham population. A normal random
sample of the ARRL member list is NOT a random sample of Hams or even ARRL
members. Just one example; the high profile HF station needs
space....therefore they congregate in addresses in rural or semi rural
areas. Any attempt to randomise which does not take account of this fact
will tend to disenfranchise HF operators.
Personally I have only ever used surveys to justify to the boards and senior
managers what I have already decided to do! My background in politics also
has let me know that quantified data takes years and years to get right by
increasingly improving the true sample. Even then qualified data using focus
groups (or similar) is required to test the validity of the survey data.
In short the decision may be a necessary one due to cost pressures but
please do not try to justify it as being what Hams want!
73
Martin VK5GN
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