[PaQSO] Discussion

[ed.miske@kennametal.com]

I feel the need to make this post....I sure hope I have not created any
hard feelings or put a bad taste in anyone's mouth. My intent WAS NOT to
create any "call to arms" for rules changes.

It seems to me there's (at least) two way's of looking at the recent
discussion on "things liked" and "thoughts on changes".......(and that is
what it is/was.........a discussion.....not a call for any rule change).

One is........ "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" and the other
is............ "Just because it ain't broke doesn't mean it can't be made
to work better".

I happen subscribe to the latter; not just as regards the Pa QSO party, but
in my job and life. Things change. When the Pa QSO party was first run
(back in '02???) were the rules the same then as now? I submit we have to
constantly "tinker" with rules, processes and the like to keep them running
along if fine fettle.

That said, I do not think that anyone subscribing to the first school of
thought (if it ain't broke, don't fix it) is "wrong" or "out of touch" or
anything like that. That is fine.....that is their opinion......that is
good.....without that "counter balance" things would get out of whack very
quickly......it is a good thing that we do not all think and act alike.

While the reflector is certainly a great place to discuss the best antennas
and what county you'll be in and stuff like that, I think we would be
missing a good opportunity if we did not DISCUSS other topics. There were a
lot of opinions for and against some of the ideas put forward. That's
great......that's discussion. I just hope no one takes it for more that it
is......a discussion.

I certainly don't, and I doubt many others feel that the "administration"
of this great event is a snap. I'm pretty comfortable most of us understand
it is a huge undertaking and a large commitment. But I just can't buy into
the argument that any rule change "adds to that weight". (Some changes,
maybe, but not all). Nor do I buy into the argument that a rule change that
would invalidate past scoring records is "bad". So what if a "full blown"
effort used to result in 175k - 200k points and now it results in 250k
points? So what if 90% of the county records fall in one year? I truley
mean that...what's the big deal? I hold the county record in CMB with appx
201,000 points. If there were a new rule this year making all CW QSO's were
worth 2 points and someone beats out that record with 230000 points, so
what? I have the same opportunity to beat it. I just don't see that as an
issue....records are made to be broken. (I wish I did not feel the need to
say the following....but since I am not "face-to-face" with you, and you
can't see me and hear my tone of voice and get all those other body
language messages..... I do: I'm not picking on W3TDF for his comments
about records being non-comparable, and I'm sure Ray couldn't care any less
if I were picking on him, I just needed an example of a change of what, I
feel, is a rule change that would not burden the administrators)

If I did not enjoy the Pa QSO party to the degree I do, (as it is
now....with any WARTS I may think it has), I wouldn't be spending $300 to
rent a cabin for four nights and using 3 days of vacation and tearing my
station apart and packing it in the car and unpacking it and setting it up
in that cabin and tearing it down again and packing it up again and setting
it up again at home and running the risk of damage in all that moving
around and living on bologna sandwichs in the hope that I get enough points
to squeak by all the other portables and get a (really nice) plaque for my
efforts  and I hope at least I get more points than N3FR so he has to buy
the beers and..........well you get the point. (And If I were saying this
to you face to face, I would have a great big smile on my face).

I truely hope that the differing opinions are taken as just that by
all.......opinions, as TDF said, we all have them. And I would add that we
are all entitled to them...and this is the appropriate place to air them
(if they are about the PaQP)......and if yours do not align with mine, I do
not feel there is anything wrong with you and I hope that if mine do not
align with yours you feel the same.

I just felt the need to say all this.........

12 weeks from tomorrow at about this time I will be on route 22 heading for
Prince Gallitzin park......I CAN"T WAIT!!!!!!!!!

Ed/WA3SES