Do Contests Need to Change? Kyle Krieg AA0Z Makes His Case

WOW, very well said Kyle. A renewed contesting world... Good job. de N0GDB

 

Besides W3LPL and K3LR, there are many other contest superstations in the U.S. and around the world, whereby their owners recruit experienced great operators to fill the station positions. A relatively new one here in Arizona is ND7K, owned by N6WIN. His main operator is N6MJ...his 2BSIQ skills are other-worldly, and he has the concentration and endurance to go 48 hours!

 

Does the Football, Basketball, Tennis etc need to change too? Not to many contesters have the money to build a super automatized contest station, included the internet conection, Does this people oportunity to conteting. I am contesting for some years from Cuba with a single radio, using wire antennas, whithout internet conection and of course I am not a winner but sure I'm enjoyed to many contests and I think the contests need a change, need to change to many contesters who dont have enought discipline to follow the rules, to respect the others whith poors stations in each competition. If the F1 Pilots make a competition like some hamradio contesters, no one will arrive at the end of race. so contests are OK the real problem is other.

 

Baseball did change - ever hear of moneyball? Wonderful movie that portrays the changes that technology has had on baseball as a sport in America.

Tennis did change - from clay court to artificial material

Football? Why yes -- have a look at this article: The impact of technology on the future of football – A global Delphi study - ScienceDirect which highlights advancements like digital referee and instant replay rules to reduce cheating / referee bias.

We can also talk about F1 and how it has changed - dramatic safety improvements and literally servers installed inside an F1 vehicle to monitor all sorts of telemetry and feeding it real time to mechanic, race owner, and spectators.

SO yes, change happens as technology improves. Same with contesting.

 

gaslighting ageism.
nice try ...

 

That’s why they invented WRTC championshios. …. The very reason you cite above. An attempt to level the playing field.

 

Again not ageism, just the truth. My post you quote, #151, did have a number of hams agree with me. Obviously you don’t, and that’s your right. But your previous post calling me “disgusting” and “dismissive of the younger generation” was unwarranted.

I have grandchildren, and yes, their heads are buried in their smartphones like most of their peers. It doesn’t mean I don’t love them, nor they won’t amount to something in the future. It’s just trying to get the younger generation into ham radio is more difficult now than ever. Communicating via RF is just not “magic” anymore, like it was back in the 50’s-70’s…the boom times for ham radio. Too many other tech gadgets to occupy their time.

 

Why don't we just eliminate radios entirely? Computers are much easier, not to mention smart phones and tablets - they don't need an outdoor antenna and the rest of the pain in the butt gear you need to work a contest.

I work many contests although I am not at all competitive - just a wire antenna and a few hours on a weekend to work a contest. But I always look forward to the big contests - learn the rules, the appropriate exchange, and keep a log, although I don't submit it. Because I enjoy making lots of contacts and working DX which ordinarily I don't hear - it's just fun RADIO.

 

Are you saying that Doctor DX really is the future?

 

Be careful using the term "Ham" with some people in this thread. They are desperate to be victims so they can claim they
are being attacked and "win" the discussion. I am amazed that they took offense to my clown references while simultaneously
being a "Proud Ham" and using the term "Ham" instead of Amateur Radio Operator. I guess they just allow themselves to be
offended when it's convenient and advantageous to their cause or whim.

 

Just saying I enjoy RADIO.

 

Are you familiar with CQ100?

It has been around since at least 2009.

Check out this article: http://www.eham.net/articles/21611 )

Note the title of the article: How I've Got My Ham Radio Hobby Back: cq100 makes this contester and rag chewer of 32 years, who almost walked away for good, glad to be a ham once again!

---

Way back in the early 2000s, I had an online exchange with a nocodetest advocate who also opposed contests. He wanted all contesting moved online. Each "operator" would choose their virtual "station", and a central server would decide propagation, RFI, etc.

I am not making this up.

73 de Jim N2EY

 

Amateurs like James Lawson W2PV and Dave Leeson W6QHS studied Yagi antennas in an effort to build the best possible contest stations.

https://www.amazon.com/Antenna-Design-Radio-amateurs-library/dp/0872590410
Yagi Antenna Design Hardcover – January 1, 1986
https://www.amazon.com/Physical-Design-Antennas-David-Leeson/dp/0872593819
Physical Design of Yagi Antennas

https://contests.arrl.org/ContestResults/1960/SS-Phone-1960-FinalQSTResults.pdf
W6QHS operated W6YX, the Stanford club station.

I got a clean sweep on CW operating from the University of Pennsylvania club station.

 

Amateur Radio *not* involving RF transmissions?? Blasphemy! Who are these "innovators"?

I just Googled CQ100. Everything's done online over the internet. It says you have to have a HR license to participate. What? Why?