[NLRS] Lunch time UHF (Rovermania) contest analysis, Part II

[Ford Peterson]

Todd wrote:

...snip...

>    Again, I am not bashing ARRL at all.  I'm simply wondering what ARRL does 
> for contests that makes their stamp of approval so essential to some.  I may 
> need some educating on this point.  If it's just about some ops needing some 
> pieces of paper for their shack walls, I'll be happy to contribute $5 or 10 
> toward the prize kitty.  :)
> 
>    73 and congrats again to everyone associated with Rovermania,
>    Todd Sprinkmann   KC9BQA  EN63ao

As the contest sponsor, ARRL does quite a bit.  They advertise it.  They coordinate it.  They sponsor the awards.  They provide the rules.  And, it is their tradition.  If they don't do it, there is no reason in the world why you or anyone else couldn't.  You can do it now--even if they do continue the contest.

The ARRL uses paid people to organize this stuff.  And it is expensive.  If the board feels that too many of the paid members are subsidizing the few participants, quite possibly many who are not members of ARRL, then it likely will get shot down as a 'sponsored' contest.  If ARRL does discontinue the contest, the frequencies are our playground--not theirs.  Advertise it.  Coordinate it.  Sponsor the awards.  Provide the rules.  

The Boring Amateur Radio Club of Boring, Oregon sponsors the Stew Perry 160M contest and has great participation.  http://jzap.com/k7rat/stew.html They exchange grid squares on 160M!  Go figure!  People volunteer to sponsor awards.  But the club does the work--and it is a bunch of work and expense for sure.

By the way, if you think the ARRL fails to look at what proportion of the paid membership participates, or what portion of participants are paid members, think again.  It's marketing.  Good business frankly.

Ford-N0FP
ford at cmgate.com