[SFDXA] Message From TBDXC

[Harvey K]

I am forwarding the following message From TBDXC

Sorry they are gone

Harvey KC4CX

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TBDXC no more.


Dear friends,

It is with great sadness that I have to announce my decision to bring the
TBDXC experience to a close. 

This follows the resignation of our President and Marathon Manager Peter
DL3NAA, triggered by yet another "scandal" about TBDXC members massively
engaging in FT8 activity. 

This problem emerged already more than one year ago. Under pressure from
more "purist" members, and in order to maintain the Club's credibility, I
wrote to the membership reminding what the Club stands for and asking those
members who do engage in FT8 DXing to consider resigning. Many did, but this
letter of mine generated heated and at times vicious debate on various
forums, and a lot of feedback - some positive and some very negative - to me
personally.

Problem solved?

No. A check on Clublog in November 2022 showed that the situation hadn't
changed. As a result, you will remember receiving another email making the
same points as the previous one. More expressions of support and a little
criticism, on the one hand, and more resignations. 

Problem solved?

No. A check of the recent TN8K leaderboards shows that as much as one third
of the TBDXC members who worked the excellent DXpedition did so on FT8, with
quite a few members ONLY working TN8K on FT8 - no CW or SSB!

At this stage, it is abundantly clear to me that I have failed. My initial
idea of an organised push back against the exploding digital activity may
have been good in theory, but in reality:

a)    The TBDXC has failed to make the slightest difference in levels of
activity. The recent and very welcome return of CW and SSB traffic appears
due to improved propagation conditions and in no way linked to our
promotional activity. 

b)    The TBDXC has been largely ignored by its own members. Only two
awards, for instance, were issued during a four-year period. Out of a
membership of nearly 2,000, in another example, only about 350 submitted
logs for the Marathon during two years, despite numerous, repeated calls to
do so even if one doesn't participate competitively - just to show support.
And,

c)    What I find most extraordinary, many DXers evidently signed up just to
be in a Club. They have not read, or not understood, they don't care or they
just plainly ignore the very foundation, the reason for the Club to exist,
and happily work DX with automated digital modes. How is that possible, I
honestly do not know. The Club is the laughing stock of anybody who cares to
check who works what on what mode.

This is a sign of personal failure for me, and a betrayal to the majority of
members who are passionate about the cause and feel good to be in the
company of like-minded people.

I did not create the TBDXC to be a police organisation and never had any
intention to singling out "offenders" or taking actions like issuing
warnings or terminating membership. This is odious, extremely time
consuming, and, for an informal association without even a formal
membership, not even legal. 

I am therefore left with no alternative but to close down the True Blue
DXers Club.

A further reason of intense pain is that the demise of the Club will bring
an end to the DX Ultra-Marathon - an initiative very much enjoyed by
hundreds of DXers for the last two years. 2023 looked promising already, but
I don't see how this initiative could go ahead separate from the existence
of the Club. This was indeed a good idea, with plenty of upscale potential,
and perhaps someone will want to run it independently in the future. 

In signing off, I would like to express my gratitude to those few souls who,
during these four years, offered time, work, ideas and enthusiasm and helped
me keeping the Club alive, in particular Petr OK1RP, Thomas DK3DUA and Peter
DL3NAA.

But especially, I want to say a sincere THANK YOU to all of you - and you
are many more than you think after reading this - who truly understood and
believed in the ideas behind the True Blue DXers Club.

Long live CW and SSB, long live True Blue DXing!


73 Pete MM0TWX
 



	

 




Copyright C 2023 TBDXC, All rights reserved. 
You are receiving these emails as a member of the TBDXC. 

Our mailing address is: 

TBDXC

1 Aytoun Rd

Glasgow, North Lanarkshire G41 5RL 

United Kingdom





 



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