eHam Logo

Community
 Home
 eHam.net Home
 Articles & Stories
 Speakout
 Strays
 Survey
 My Profile

Resources
 This Week's Contests
 Classified Ads
 Contest Links
 Product Reviews




Site Information
 About This Site
 Contesting.com Team


[Articles Home]  [Add Article]  

Contest Clubs Formally Oppose Reduced QST Contest Coverage

from K1IR, Jim Idelson on January 18, 2002
View comments about this article!

James S. Idelson
96 Morse Road
Sudbury, MA 01776
tel 978.443.5549 fax 978.443.2034
email [email protected]

January 15, 2002

ARRL Board of Directors

Subject: ������������ Joint Statement and Request of US Contest Clubs on the Proposal to Eliminate Detailed Contest Results from QST

To the Board of Directors:

We, the presidents of the US ARRL-Affiliated contest clubs, wish to respectfully submit our unanimously held views on the current proposal to eliminate certain elements of contest coverage from QST in an effort to reduce cost. We are requesting that you defer this decision and accept our proposal to contribute resources and work with the ARRL to develop a more complete and effective solution to problem.

The presidents of the US ARRL-Affiliated contest clubs unanimously support the following Joint Statement and Request. In many cases, there has been sufficient time to gain the support of the membership, as well:

1.������� We, the undersigned, recognize and appreciate the work that the ARRL does in support of contesting, including sponsorship and administration of 15 ARRL contests plus the IARU contest, publishing rules, collecting logs, scoring the contests, providing awards, publishing results, maintaining the CAC, employing Dan Henderson and Kathy Allison. We support the Contest Robot, Cabrillo and Logbook of the World projects - all of which will benefit contesters.

2.������� We understand and support the League's goal of producing QST with ever-increasing quality, and to do so within certain financial constraints.

3.������� We feel that coverage of contesting in the printed format of QST is extremely important to the future of contesting as a mainstream amateur radio activity.

4.������� We feel that QST's printed line-by-line scores are extremely important at all levels of competition and participation. Although web-based results can serve the purpose of delivering the same information at a lower delivery cost, we feel that printed results serve a special purpose in promoting contesting. Printed results in the national magazine provide a unique sense of satisfaction and pride to participants; this cannot be duplicated with web-based results.

5.������� We are committed to assisting the League in finding solutions for complete contest coverage that can be delivered at lower cost using all forms of media - print and electronic, while at the same time making such coverage more attractive and interesting to a much wider audience than has been the case to date.

6.������� We ask the League to defer it's decision regarding elimination of detailed contest results from QST until we have had an opportunity to work together to craft a solution that meets the financial requirements while further enhancing the quality of the product that is delivered.

7.������� To move this process forward expeditiously, we are assembling a group of volunteers to participate in an ARRL Contest Coverage Working Group, whose goal is to assist the League in defining a cost-effective and pragmatic solution for outstanding coverage of ARRL contests � combining both QST and web-based delivery methods.

ARRL Contest Coverage Working Group - Member Profiles
Long-time, experienced contesters
New, less-experienced contesters-in-training
Non-contesters
Business/marketing experts
Sports journalism/writing experts
Electronic delivery experts

SIGNATURE�������������������������������������� TITLE��������������� ORGANIZATION��������������������������������� DATE�������������������

/s/ PAUL GENTRY������������������� ������� President����������� Society of Midwest Contesters���������������� January 15, 2002
Paul Gentry, K9PG

/s/ BRIAN MCGINNESS�������� ������� President����������� Potomac Valley Radio Club��������������������� January 15, 2002
Brian McGinness, N3OC

/s/ RICK TAVAN���������������������� ������� President����������� Northern California Contest Club���������� January 15, 2002
Rick Tavan, N6XI

/s/ DOUG PRIEST������������������� ������� President����������� Frankford Radio Club������������������������������ January 15, 2002
Doug Priest, W3CF

/s/ GARY BREED�������������������� ������� President����������� Southeast Contest Club��������������������������� January 15, 2002
Gary Breed, K9PG

/s/ AL DEWEY������������������������� ������� President����������� Minnesota Wireless Association������������� January 15, 2002
Al Dewey, K0AD

/s/ WIL ANGENENT�������������� ������� President����������� Southern California Contest Club���������� January 15, 2002
Wil Angenent, K6NDV

/s/ ROBERT NAUMANN������� ������� Past-President���� North Texas Contest Club���������������������� January 15, 2002
Robert Naumann, N5NJ

/s/ DAVID PRUETT����������������� ������� President����������� Mad River Radio Club����������������������������� January 15, 2002
David Pruett, K8CC

/s/ JAMES IDELSON�������������� ������� President����������� Yankee Clipper Contest Club������������������ January 15, 2002
James Idelson, K1IR

Please contact me with any questions, comments or other communications regarding this Joint Statement and Request.

Respectfully submitted,

James S. Idelson , K1IR
President
Yankee Clipper Contest Club


Member Comments: Add A Comment
Contest Clubs Formally Oppose Reduced QST Contest Reply
by K1XT on January 19, 2002 Mail this to a friend!
Please define "certain elements."
 
Contest Clubs Formally Oppose Reduced QST Contest Reply
Anonymous post on January 21, 2002 Mail this to a friend!
Certain elements = Detailed listings of all the individual line scores.
 
Contest Clubs Formally Oppose Reduced QST Contest Reply
by W8FN on January 23, 2002 Mail this to a friend!
Just my congenital editor's gene becoming dominant...

In item 6, the apostrophe in "it's" is incorrect.

In the signatures, Gary Breed's call is not K9PG.

Sorry for the nit picking. It's a really good letter. However... I doubt that a QST editorial staff that sees fit to run an article on "how to build a computer" which fails to address the necessity of having serial ports for virtually every amateur radio application is really going to care. Hope that's not the case.

73...
Randy, W8FN
 
Email Subscription
You are not subscribed to discussions on this article.

Subscribe!
My Subscriptions
Subscriptions Help

Other News Articles
The Spurious Emissions Band at Dayton (2017)
The Pin One Problem, Live at the Visalia Contest Dinner (2017)
RSGB ROtating LOcators Contests
Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge
New contest: UKEICC