In regards to the QST contesting coverage, the following are my opinions,
free and worth every penny:
1) The change to web coverage from print coverage for line scores is
happening. We'll see how it works.
2) ARRL is more than QST. I'm a life member (recently). I'm not gonna ask
for my money back.
3) Contesting will be saved by the contest community, not by magazine
coverage.
a) The "each one bring one" approach is superb.
b) Start young. Look at BARC's "Kids Day". Not a contest. Read the
comments from those who submit logs. "When can we do this again?" "Do we
have to wait a whole six months?" These are the *kids'* comments, not the
old gray guys that were the control ops.
c) Give a program. Not many clubs will refuse a program on contesting
at a monthly meeting. Most program chairmen are desperate for something to
fill a slot. There are probably dozens of members of the contesting
community who have material they'd love to share, complete with slides,
tapes, Power Points, you-name-it.
d) Be a mentor at Field Day. Forego your normal operating time (if
necessary) to sit by a newcomer and coach him/her through some contacts on
SSB or CW.
e) Teach a class. Most of the members of our local club who are active
contesters came up through our club-sponsored licensing classes; and yes,
many started as no-codes.
f) Join a contesting club. If you're a member of SMC, I don't have to
explain this. If you're not, check the number of SMC entries in the last
two Sweepstakes....
g) Host a multi-op. NG9R and I invited KC0MYA (licensed two
months....no-code) here for ARRL VHF in June. He operated several hours and
had a ball...and conditions were lousy. We told him HF was even more fun.
"Wow, I've gotta start studying my code!" He has. Should be a General in a
couple of weeks. AB9DU was licensed a year ago in April. We got him on the
air for Field Day two months later. Not a contest. See how many contacts
you can make. Can you get through the pileup on that KL7? Wanna try CQing?
I'll log for you. Whaddaya think of this logging program? Pretty neat, eh?
Not a contest. Uh-huh.... He's Extra Class, DXCC in one year, goes nuts in
contests, Lighthouse Days, etc.
Sorry I've gotten carried away here. But we can do this....
73, Jim N9JF
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