KØHB wrote:

(asking about ways to attract newcomers to contesting):

Well, Hans, I'm not a newcomer, and I don't qualify for QCAO either.
But
here are some ideas from what I remember as a newcomer:

1) More entry classes for the "little guy". This has already been done
on FD,
and to a limited extent in SS. The problem is that the new-to-contests
ham with
a midlevel 100 W transceiver, paper logs and G5RV is in the same
category as
the big gun with multiple big beams, an IC-7800 and every automated
doodad
conceivable.

2) Put the results back in QST - all the results. First time my call
was in QST was
for SS scores. Why shouldn't the newcomers get the same thrill? Website
is
*NOT* the same thing.

3) Perhaps the check could be changed from "year of birth" to "number
of times
you've operated this contest", with a bonus for new folks. Oldtimers
couldn't adopt a low number because it would be easily detected. This
also helps the folks who may have held a license for years but who are
new to certain aspects of amateur radio.

4) More contests (!) but also more variety. The QRP folks do this with
their sprints,
and there used to be 4 CD parties a year. For example:

- A "mini-SS" in late summer that lasts only 6-12 hours and you can
work the same station on different bands
- Low-power (150 w max) contests
- Contest exchanges that include something that changes with each QSO.
For example,
you might have a list of 10-12 items like op's birthday, name, grid
square (on HF!)rig/key/mike/antenna/exact power in use, zip code, old
callsign, etc. One item from the list would be exchanged with each QSO,
and the item would change after each QSO. When the list ran out you'd
start it again. For a real challenge, require a couple of items in each
exchange.
- Single-band and couple-of-band contests to concentrate the action.

73 de Jim, N2EY