Hi Scott,
Number (4) could be problematic. For instance, I have stacks on 40 through
10, a rotating tower, a tall fixed tower, and a full-sized 160 meter
vertical, and I reckon I have less in all of it than a new Optibeam and a
self-supporting tower. I build a lot of my own stuff, including the
rotating tower hardware. All of the antennas were made from something else,
computer optimized; good but cheap. Where do I fit into your
commerce-driven spectrum?
73,
geo - n4ua
On Sat, Mar 26, 2016 at 2:01 AM, ScottW3TX <scottw3tx@verizon.net> wrote:
> My thoughts as one whom was a rabid contester as a teenager, but has no
> time for contesting currently:
>
> There are three simple paths to recruit contesters:
>
> 1). Field day. Many of us became smitten with contesting during field
> day. Join a local club, participate, recruit.
>
> 2). Dxing. What better time to work a bunch of countries toward
> multi-band DXCC than during a DX contest. Some will get hooked on
> contesting. Local contest clubs could branch out into Dxing as a fun
> activity and recruiting tool.
>
> 3). Mentoring family/friends. How many contesters have ever really taken
> the time to mentor their children, relatives, or friends during a contest?
> Obviously this requires one to mentor during a contesting one is not out
> to compete in seriously. There are contests every weekend and all of them
> will appreciate more people to work.
>
> 4). I believe the BIGGEST obstacle to converting newcomers/dabblers to
> mid-experienced contesters is the cost of building a competitive station.
> The way to solve this challenge is to create station equipment overlays.
> Consider basing the overlays on actual cost of building the station. This
> way a station of any caliber can compete with similarly equiped stations.
> For example:
> * <$1000 station investment
> * $1000 to $2500 station investment
> * $2500 to 5000 station investment
> * $5000 to $10000 station investment
> As people grow their station over time they will move into a higher
> overlay category. This solves the problem of being a newcomer SOQRP or
> SOLP having to compete with a person that goes to an existing SuperStation
> with monoband stacks to set a personal or world record.
>
> Such overlays will allow youth to enter and compete without them having to
> feel like there is no chance to "win", "place in a top ten", and receive
> recognition (which is the real reason many contesters contest). Then as
> these people become "recognized" within the contesting community their
> involvement will bloom.
>
> 73, Scott W3TX
>
>
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