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   PID: Synchronet 3.20a-Win32 master/a59d7d36d Apr 13 2023 MSC 1929   
   TID: SBBSecho 3.20-Win32 master/a59d7d36d Apr 13 2023 MSC 1929   
   BBSID: TBOLT   
   CHRS: ASCII 1   
   From the Aug. 27, 2014 issue of The ARRL Contest Rate Sheet Newsletter   
   By H. Ward Silver, N0AX   
      
   Little Contests, Big Results   
      
   One of my local radio clubs, the St Louis and Suburban Radio Club (W0SRC)   
   is hosting a 2 meter FM sprint contest this weekend on Saturday evening.   
   As contests go, it's a short one and unlikely to cause much QRM on the   
   band. The basics - 7 to 10 PM; simplex channels from 147.42 to 147.56;   
   exchange of call sign, contact serial number, and Zip code. Operators   
   can stay home, set up from the nearest high spot, or drive around as a   
   mobile. (I think I might try that last one.)   
      
   What's the big deal? No one is going to get the rate meter much over 60   
   QSOs per hour for very long. The biggest log might be 100 QSOs. Maximum   
   distance might be 30 miles. Why is this newsworthy in a contest   
   newsletter? Because it's an example of how to introduce new hams and   
   those looking for something new to competitive operating, getting more   
   out of their equipment, and learning some operating skills.   
      
   This type of activity is one source of new contest operators and, more   
   importantly, the more activities a ham experiences, the more likely that   
   ham is to be a lifetime ham. It is uncommon that a person selects one   
   particular niche in one particular type of activity and finds that to   
   be enough for a lifetime. Hams who don't get a glimpse of the other   
   things ham radio has to offer often don't renew their license or become   
   inactive.   
      
   Ham radio, being as broad as it is, we might think there's no excuse for   
   not putting a toe in some of the various waters, but we all need   
   encouragement to give it a try. I remember my Novice days and being   
   encouraged to enter the Novice Roundup by my friends. Hey, that was fun!   
   An invitation from the manager of the Slow Speed Net led to a lot of   
   traffic handling, even if I did check in with two pieces of non-existent   
   traffic for Kansas City because I mistakenly thought the example was   
   instructions for checking in! No harm, no foul! What was key in both   
   instances was personal invitations and guidance by more experienced hams.   
      
   Start small and easy - inviting hams of any level to jump right in to a   
   full-blown expert-level activity may not yield the intended results.   
   Finding more casual events compatible with beginner skills is far more   
   likely to be remembered fondly by the new participant. Take a look at the   
   list of available contests for the next two weeks - there are a number of   
   short, easygoing sprints, state QSO parties, and specialty contests in   
   which the beginner can have fun.   
      
   The next step is to give a little of your time to show them the ropes.   
   Or to help your club sponsor a local contest or "contest within a   
   contest". Success can be as close at hand as showing someone how to   
   adjust their squelch control to copy a weak station, or suggesting the   
   use of phonetics or explaining how Zip codes are like these grid square   
   things.   
      
   If you are getting a nibble on the hook, why, the September VHF Contest   
   with its new FM-Only category is just a couple of weeks away or maybe   
   the fall DX contests would be interesting. Outreach - both inside and   
   outside ham radio - is the biggest challenge facing ham radio for the   
   next couple of decades. There are many opportunities available to all   
   of us every weekend. Take the opportunity to help others take the little   
   steps that lead to a lifetime journey.   
      
   73, Ward N0AX   
   --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32   
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (1:2320/33)   
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