[Elecraft] Is ham radio a sport ??

[Sandy Blaize]

Bill,

AGREED!  Also don’t forget about 60 meters!  A lot of people miss a “good bet” to contact some of the people they usually work on 80 or 40 meters when those bands are jammed packed on weekends with contesting!  Unfortunately, for the most part, you can’t work 60 with old boatanchor gear.  It is even more useful now that they have allocated a “new channel 3” instead of the one that always seemed in government use.  

Even though there is no contesting on WARC bands, there are times the propagation isn’t right for some areas you 
normally work on 80/40/20 meters  (especially 80/40 for short skip stuff).  It would be helpful to have a small section of the bands “off limits” for contesting on the CW-data and SSB segments of each band in areas that General/Tech class people or higher could use during the “tests”.  I queried ARRL about it a couple of times.  The ARRL Official Observers could be reporting those stations and times that the “violations” occurred.  If you got more than say 5 contacts in the “off limits” segments, You could have you entire log disqualified.  The “segments could be small, say 10-15 khz max.and leave a hole for those needing to work buddies across the continent.  I didn’t even get an answer from them about this.

What operating courtesy existed 20+ years ago and the use of calling protocols during CW contacts has almost ceased to exist now.  Some of the “no coders” ARE trying, so it’s up to us old timers to “educate” them about on the air politeness, even if ARRL doesn’t care anymore.  (They no longer put the “Operating an Amateur Station” chapter in the “Handbook” anymore!)

Most of the “newbies” I have QSOed are willing to learn, but seem to be mimicking the techniques of the “hit and run” techniques used by the hard core contesters, most of which has no place in a casual polite  QSO!

Just my 2 cents worth from someone that’s pounded a key since 1951.  All my stern “Elmers” are “SK” now I’m afraid.  Sometimes they had stern words for us beginners back then.

73,

Sandy W5TVW

From: Bill Gerth 
Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2013 10:27 AM
To: Sandy Blaize 
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Is ham radio a sport ??

Sandy, 

Actually, ALL WARC BANDS (30, 17, 12 meters) are already off limits to contest activity.  This is strictly enforced by contest organizers by rejecting any QSOs submitted for those bands.  Although I am a contester, I don't enter every contest.  The WARC bands offer a wide variety of propagation characteristics and I really enjoy using them.  

73,

BILL GERTH, W4RK
Jefferson City, MO
First Licensed 1954
CWOPS #459
4 States QRP Group
KX3 (S/N 112)

On Mar 21, 2013, at 10:06 AM, Sandy Blaize wrote:


  TOO MUCH, especially on weekends!   Shouldn't there be a small segment of the bands set aside for "non contest" use?  Or would this be asking too much??

  73,
  Sandy W5TVW



  -----Original Message----- From: Scott Manthe
  Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 8:05 PM
  To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
  Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Is ham radio a sport ??

  Many contesters consider contesting "radiosport."

  73,
  Scott, N9AA


  On 3/20/13 8:44 PM, Paul VanOveren wrote:

    The link is to a 1958 Sports Illustrated article, about Ham Radio being a

    sport. If you have seen it before, sorry for the bandwidth, but I found it

    interesting reading, maybe some others will also...



    <

    http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1002473/index.htm


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