Subject: [PaQSO] It Ain't Broke, So Tweak It

[N3DQU@aol.com]

In a message dated 10/17/2002 7:27:13 PM Eastern Daylight Time,  
wn3vaw@fyi.net writes:

> (5)    I don't know how, though I have some ideas, but we've got to get some
>  more activity generated out of some of the rare & semi-rare counties.  Many
>  of the ones that were tough this year have local clubs and local hams 
(where
>  oh where were all the hams of New Castle?  where was the PODXS?  Hey, a
>  PSK31 part of the contest might interest them!).

In a message dated 10/17/2002 7:27:13 PM Eastern Daylight Time,  
wn3vaw@fyi.net writes:

> (5)    I don't know how, though I have some ideas, but we've got to get some
>  more activity generated out of some of the rare & semi-rare counties.  Many
>  of the ones that were tough this year have local clubs and local hams 
(where
>  oh where were all the hams of New Castle?  where was the PODXS?  Hey, a
>  PSK31 part of the contest might interest them!).

   Hey, PODXS was out there Ron, honest! I managed to hand out 378 q's from 
Lawrence County, and my clubmate N3XC had a late start but cranked out 
another 40 or so Sunday afternoon on 40m fone. Also, I ran into W3FI on the 
air too handing out some decent numbers on cw and think there was even a 
mobile or two blowing thru here to boot, so altho lightly attended 
considering the ham population here, LAW was indeed represented in the PAQ 
this year.
   As for changes in the PAQ, I am one of them "if it ain't fixed, don't 
broke it" guys! There is a reason why the PAQ is one of the biggest es best. 
Adding bells and whistles like QTC's, separate mults for SSB and CW, and 
digital modes in my opinion are not needed in an already great contest. Where 
does everyone go on Sunday? Ya got me dood, but think that is something that 
has to be addressed by the local PA clubs to their members. The only change I 
would advocate is allowing entry submissions by email, something that just 
about every other major contest on the planet does. It is about time for NARC 
to move into the internet age hi!
   AS for PSK31 in the PAQ, 'tis true that PODXS sponsors a PSK31 award 
program called the 070 Club with over 200 members worldwide, and while this 
digimode is lots of fun and has as one of its many advantages a narrow 
bandwidth of 31Hz, adding digital modes of any type to the PAQ would not be a 
good idea in my opinion. Consider that the PSK calling freq on 40m is 7070, 
where on Saturday nite CW ops on can be heard all the way up into the digital 
band and then some. The QRM fm the DX fone ops is bad enough on 40m, don't 
need any more....73 de Jay N3DQU/LAW Penn-Ohio DX Society (PODXS)