[NLRS] More thoughts re: ARRL and V/UHF contests -- long

[Todd Sprinkmann]

  I've thought about my 12/1 post questioning whether ARRL's sponsoring a given contest is important or not.

  I received 3 responses via the list and none privately.  All 3 responses helped me understand ARRL's important role with respect to (WRT) contesting.  The most obvious one that I (being mostly a technophobe/technoputz, LOL) missed is everything having to do with databases, scoring, etc.  I've spent many nights on the computer, enjoying the soapbox comments and especially scanning thru the ARRL's database of scores, assessing which stations are truly active in contests, which bands they use and how much activity is on lesser used bands (such as 222, 902, 1296).  It was brain-dead of me to not think of this valuable feature ARRL provides to contesters.

   I joined ARRL upon receiving my ticket in early 2002 and I continue to renew.  I have contributed to the spectrum defense fund (the BPL threat).  I've listened to shortwave and ham bands for over 25 years, so I am well aware that ARRL is by far THE organization for all hams.  I get something out of every QST I receive, definitely.  I can remember trying to find specialty stores that carried it back in the 70's and 80's.  Overall,  ARRL is very important.

  But when I finally moved to a radio-friendly QTH 1 1/2 years ago, the internet had surpassed QST for in-depth ham radio knowledge.  This is only natural, and not a knock on QST.  The web is seemingly limitless.  Without the web, I wouldn't know about NLRS, the VHF contesting and Tower Talk reflectors.  Wouldn't have access to DX clusters and real-time propagation reports.  Wouldn't have access to for-sale lists like QTH.com, eham.net, QRZ.com.  Wouldn't have found a wonderful 6-meter chat site at www.dxers.info (I *really* wish more people would take advantage of this site designed and hosted by W4TRH, and not just on 6 meters).  Wouldn't have had email that helped me correspond with dozens of good hams who helped with station design.  So I relate to the internet VERY heavily WRT ham radio and my station.

  Therefore, when I think of V/UHF contesting, I think of the internet.  I don't think of ARRL.  I make skeds and keep track of others via email.  Rover activity?  Yep, email.  So when I see hand-wringing over ARRL possibly dropping the UHF contest (and perhaps they won't, now that log submissions and activity were definitely up this year), I think to myself, "Do we really need ARRL to make a contest happen?"  I would hope that most of us are passionate enough about contesting that we would continue to pursue it on our own, via email, or websites devoted to V/UHF contesting (such as Dan Evans -- K9ZF --rover webpage), or via reflectors such as NLRS and BC'ers.   

   I go to the local radio club's meetings and I see gentlemen twice my age who have been working with computers since the 60's and 70's!  Talk about intimidating!  And yes, fascinating, as well.  :)  So I just can't see where contesting should suffer if the ARRL decides it isn't in their interest to continue sponsoring a given activity.  I think we should be prepared to take that responsibility on ourselves, if need be.  Besides, without new blood in the V/UHF contesting niche, things will go downhill.  And I think it's safe to say that virtually all new contesters will be more and more internet-aware.  Certainly ARRL and QST have been huge.  But I think that in this decade, we will see things evolve away from that, especially with subcultures like V/UHF contesting.  So that's where I am coming from when it comes to my wondering why/how (and especially *should*) ARRL be the key factor in whether a given contest happens or not. 

   For me to enjoy contesting, I need activity on the bands.  Lots of it in all directions.  How or who -- as well as how effectively -- generates that activity is what matters to me.  If ARRL is relevant, great, I'll support it by posting my plans, opping as hard and long as I can, and submitting my log as reinforcement for their efforts.  If NLRS is relevant by having Rovermania, I'll support it by printing out the Excel spreadsheet and calling CQ west and northwest until my mic wilts.  If/when I someday figure out how I can channel my intensity into something that makes V/U/SHF contesting better and better, I'll need the support of others as well.

   Thanks much for slogging your way thru this.  I hope it resonates with most of you.

   73,
   Todd  KC9BQA  EN63ao