Re: February 2025 QST Cover Plaque Award
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Like I said, you are a big contester and, while much more modest equipment, I enjoy contesting, too. I'm just not very good at it. I've participated in Field Day, the Sweepstakes, and several QRP contests every year for as long as I can remember. Indeed, the T41 Project evolved from a Field Day where I used a G90 and an EFHW at 15' just to see if 20W could compete. While I had no delusions about winning anything, I did learn that 20W is enough to enjoy a "high density" contest, even on SSB. My first contest was also when I was a Novice in 1954. As I recall, I finished 8th in the state of Ohio in the CW category. I, too, was proud of my accomplishment. ??????????????? "Never once took a dime for writing an article though, but that¡¯s just me." Not sure what the purpose of this dig was, but I assume it's because of my issue with Rich. I was surprised to learn that you were not paid for the QST and QEX articles, as the ARRL has always had a policy of paying for articles. I have been paid for some published articles, but that is standard for QST, Rad Com, and CQ. Al and I have also done presentations in person at various radio clubs around the state (OHKYIN Radio Club, Voice of America Club, DARA, Milford, and Franklin Radio Club) plus over a dozen live ZOOM presentations to audiences in the UK, India, and all over the US without charge. I've also written dozens articles for QRPp, Information Week, Bacon Bits Quarterly, K9YA Telegraph, C Programmer's Journal, InformIT, Dr. Dobbs Journal, plus seven articles for QRP Quarterly where I was paid nothing for the articles. I knew that the articles were free going in, but wrote the articles to support their efforts. The difference with CQ was that I had a contract to provide columns at a specified amount per column plus the two articles that were to be paid on a per-page basis. Despite Rich's promises, he chose to not pay me. The money isn't enough to make much difference one way or the other. It's the principle of honoring your word and not following through that upsets me. I do some things to augment my retirement, but I also do a lot of things gratis. I had hoped that the T41 book would generate some income for Al and I and it has...just not as much as we had hoped. I figure we have made less than minimum wage for the hours we've put into the book, yet we still think it was a worthwhile effort. I know that we both have put in at least 60 hours/week since we started the Project back in 2018. Financially, it's been a bust, but when we look where we started and where the T41 is today, we're happy. Many other people, including yourself, have contributed freely to make the T41 Project what it is today. We have turned the Project over to you, Oliver, and the rest of the group with the hope that the T41 continues to improve in the future. Jack, W8TEE
On Wednesday, April 23, 2025 at 02:23:22 AM EDT, K9HZ <bill@...> wrote:
I started out contesting when I was 15¡ like all my friends and most of the contesters today.? The first contest I ever entered was a novice round-up. and I only made about 25 contacts because the power went out.? I still submitted my score and QST published it.? I was pretty proud of that measly score and it gave me a big boost to see it in a big time publication like QST.? As time went one, I got better at contesting¡ I started spending more and more of my money from odd jobs buying equipment to do better, get better scores.? A few years later I won an ARRL 10 meter contest.? That was a fantastic feat¡ I was still in high school when it happened¡ and I still have the score that was published in QST in a frame.? Over the years I got better and better and started getting invited to contest with some real legends¡.at some really serious monster stations. ? What I learned, though, is that these contesters are the guys that those adds with the $10K+ amplifiers, radios, antennas, towers, etc. in QST are written for¡ and they are the guys that sink some serious money into their stations (K1LZ has over one million dollars invested in that contest station).? They also support the contests by volunteering to organize them, score them and rule check, and get the scores publish in periodicals like CQ and QST... through sales of periodicals, advertisements, and donations of time and money.? Their contributions make sure that the person with lowest score in a contest gets published for his/her contribution to the hobby no matter what it is. ?And at one time, that was me.? ? I¡¯ve written articles for QST, QEX, NCJ, and lots of hobby electronic rags over the years too.? There¡¯s lots of room for that too in the form of technical/ operating/ experience articles.? The last one was for the cover story of NCJ Jan/Feb 2021.? Never once took a dime for writing an article though, but that¡¯s just me. ? ? Dr. William J. Schmidt - K9HZ J62K(J68HZ) 8P6HK ZF2HZ PJ4/K9HZ VP5/K9HZ PJ2/K9HZ VP2EHZ ? Owner - Operator Big Signal Ranch ¨C K9ZC Staunton, Illinois ? Owner ¨C Operator Villa Grand Piton ¨C J68HZ Soufriere, St. Lucia W.I. Rent it: ? Moderator: North American QRO Group at Groups.IO. Moderator: Amateur Radio Builders Group at Groups.IO. ? email:? bill@... ? ? From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of jjpurdum via groups.io
Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2025 10:49 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [SoftwareControlledHamRadio] February 2025 QST Cover Plaque Award ? I've submitted scores to contests, too, and I can understand interest in where you placed. However, I think listing the top, say, 25, in each category would be enough. The complete listing could have been kept on line or, before the internet, perhaps you could send in a postcard and have it mailed back with your score/position. ? I know you are a huge contest person and with the station setup you have and the people who work with you, you're used to being near the top of the heap, and that would be published. But CQ would sometimes devote 30 pages to nothing but calls and scores. I just think it was overkill and there may have been a better way to service those who are interested in the scores and the remaining readers who would rather read something else. ? I talked many times with numerous other hams who feel the same way. I'm a little miffed by CQ and Rich Moseson because I wrote 6 issues with a column plus some articles for him and, despite promises and me trying to help him, he never paid me for any of them. Rich was aware of the contest results printing and was advised by me and others to find a way to placate both sides, but he wouldn't budge. He was told by many that he needed to get back to what CQ was at its outset, but it didn't happen and it finally collapsed. ? Alas, the ARRL and QST seems to be moving away from those things that made it great towards a magazine that seems to be interested in selling ads. I would love to see more new building projects and less reprints of past articles that I can look up in the archives. I think contest results could have the Top X List printed and the rest available for review online. I think that would better-serve everyone. ? Jack, W8TEE ? On Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 09:52:34 PM EDT, K9HZ <bill@...> wrote: ? ? Certainly no more than the thousands of people that participate in them and submit their scores¡ ? ? Dr. William J. Schmidt - K9HZ J62K(J68HZ) 8P6HK ZF2HZ PJ4/K9HZ VP5/K9HZ PJ2/K9HZ VP2EHZ ? Owner - Operator Big Signal Ranch ¨C K9ZC Staunton, Illinois ? Owner ¨C Operator Villa Grand Piton ¨C J68HZ Soufriere, St. Lucia W.I. Rent it: ? Moderator: North American QRO Group at Groups.IO. Moderator: Amateur Radio Builders Group at Groups.IO. ? email:? bill@... ? ? From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of jjpurdum via groups.io ? When it came to contest scores, I think CQ was the worst offender.? I found it hard to believe more than a handful of people would care about all of the scores in all of the contests. ? Jack, W8TEE ? ? On Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 06:38:24 PM EDT, jerry-KF6VB <jerry@...> wrote: ? ? I was never much impressed by QST.? It always seemed to be mostly a
-- Jack, W8TEE |
jjpurdum