Published on Mar 1, 2017 Michael Kalter, W8CI from the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) visited Tim Duffy, K3LR at DX Engineering in Tallmadge, Ohio and announced - live via Facebook - the 2017 Dayton Hamvention® Award Winners. These prestigious awards are presented every year at the Dayton Hamvention® to honor radio amateurs who have made major contributions to the art and science of our avocation. The winners for 2017 are: - Special Achievement: Ram Mohan, VU2MYH - Technical Achievement: Robert Brownstein, K6RB - Club of the Year: Clark County Amateur Radio Club, Vancouver, WA – W7AIA - Amateur of the Year: Frank Bauer, KA3HDO Read all the details of the awards at: www.hamvention.org
Could we kindly have some insight on what the technical achievement was for the 'Technical Achievement Award'? Was there some special method and software that was devised for the purpose of teaching CW? K6RB is to be uniquely commended for fostering CW through his personal efforts....but the technical aspect is not quite obvious. Appreciate some small elaboration. 73 Chip W1YW
The last sentence of the paragraph really spells it out. Remember, "technical" doesn't have to involve a soldering iron.
No one said anything about a solder iron. Let's take a look. To wit: "The mentoring part – CW Academy – started in earnest in 2012. Since then, it has mentored more than 800 amateurs in its beginner, intermediate and advanced CW courses" Mentoring is not a technical acheivement. Its pedagogy. What's wrong with you folks? K6RB is worthy, big time, of recognition. Give it to him in the correct category. This is not it. Why don't the DARA folks look up at there antennas? I bet a large fraction have those inverted umbrella versions called 'Hex Beams'. Someone invented that. Its N1HXA. Surely you agree THAT is a 'Technical Acheivement'? I find it very puzzling that 'technical' needs to be defined here...or rather, that it has been 're-defined' in a way that is counter to usage elsewhere in the world. Mentoring is mentoring. Technical acheivement is something else. BOTH are meritricious and deserve recognition. But one is not the other. 73 Chip W1YW
Here's a standard definition of mentoring. Please explain how that constitutes a 'technical acheivement'. Thanks. Mentorship is a relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps to guide a less experienced or less knowledgeable person... 73 Chip W1YW
This thoughtful and considerate reply was written by my Co chair on the Awards Committee, Frank Beafore WS8B, regarding our team's choice for Technical Achievement. Michael W8CI. "Thanks for the considerate inquires with respect to Hamvention(r) 17’s choice of the Technical Achievement award. In the past, the Hamvention awards committee has considered all categories of technical achievement nominations that range from old technology such as slow-scan television to modern contributions like software defined digital radio systems. It is the mission of the awards committee to recognize major contributions to the world of amateur radio across the entire technical spectrum. Our choice this year celebrates the devotion of one of our own that has dedicated his entire amateur radio career in preserving and enhancing the art and science relating to the oldest radio technology – CW. Now that CW is no longer required as a qualification to become an amateur operator, the related technology could fall to the wayside. The dedicated efforts of amateur radio operators like Rob Brownstein, K6RB keeps this old but vital technology alive. The Hamvention awards committee encourages all hams to nominate their fellow operators for these prestigious awards in the future." Frank Beafore-WS8B Co-Chair, Hamvention Awards Committee
Thanks for the considerate inquires with respect to Hamvention 17’s choice of the Technical Achievement award. In the past, the Hamvention awards committee has considered all categories of technical achievement nominations that range from old technology such as slow-scan television up to modern contributions like software defined digital radio systems. It is the mission of the awards committee to recognize major contributions to the world of amateur radio across the entire technical spectrum. Our choice this year celebrates the devotion of one of our own that has dedicated his entire amateur radio career in preserving and enhancing the art and science relating to the oldest radio technology – CW. Now that CW is no longer required as a qualification to become an amateur operator, the related technology could fall to the wayside. The dedicated efforts of amateur radio operators like Rob Brownstein, K6RB keeps this old but vital technology alive. The Hamvention awards committee encourages all hams to nominate their fellow operators for these prestigious awards in the future.
Hmmm. Seems it was given twice... So the Technical Achievement award is being given in the absence of a defined technical achievement. IMO you guys have put K6RB in a terrible position: he should have gotten HOTY or Special Achievement, but you gave him a technical award with no evidence of technical merit. Instead, you did an ad hoc, newly revisionist re-definition of 'technical achievement' at odds with past awards, and most certainly at odds with accepted practice of what constitutes 'technical achievement'. Mentoring and teaching Morse Code is a 'pedagogic achievement' . It is not a 'technical achievement'. Now: if there was some NEW WAY, using human cognitive knowledge, to enhance the learning process of CW, that was implemented in a technical way, THAT would be a 'technical acheivement'. No evidence for this has been presented, despite my cordial queries. Your opinion obviously differs. But you should consider how this decision de-motivates future nominations--and acceptances. It also, IMO, makes true technical acheivement less willing to be fostered in amateur radio. Rob's achievement is superlative; its just not a technical one. I congratulate him for a 2017 DARA Award nonetheless. 73 Chip W1YW
