Page 53 January February 2018 TCA

THE SPORTS PAGE

— The Canadian Contest Scene

Attracting Youth to Contesting...

We had three entries, all inside Ontario, but it catch on. With the real‑time scoreboard, you can
turned out to be a great success. You can find out see other stations scores – in real time – during
additional information on the Contest Club the contest and it is hoped that this will help
Ontario website at http://va3cco.com. I mentioned motivate participants to spend more time in the
Tom Haavisto, VE3CX this to other QSO Parties and some have chair and on the air. Most contest logging
RR#1 7-20 expressed an interest in offering something along software supports this option. If you are interested
Kaministiquia, ON P0T 1X0
Email: ve3cx@rac.ca the same lines. in giving it a try, a Google search will help you get
started. This seems to tie in nicely with the
There have been some The North America QSO Party (NAQP) runs younger generation of Amateurs who have grown
interesting comments on several times per year. Each entrant is restricted up using their game consoles to compete against
the CQ Contest Reflector to a maximum of 100 watts and the contest runs other folks via the Internet.
lately about attracting for 12 hours. The Society of Midwest Contesters
youth to Amateur Radio (SMC) has decided to sponsor a Collegiate There was also an interesting comment in a
and contesting ranks. Championship which is aimed at college aged recent Minnesota QSO Party write‑up, where an
Amateurs, using a club (college) station. You can op decided to have his nine year old daughter join
I am happy to say that find details at http://www.w9smc.com/. Granted, him, as she had done in previous years. She was
things are looking up and I not all college age hams have access to a club pretty excited and had a good time. During the
would like to share some station, but the idea seems interesting. The contest, her Barbies required attention so she
recent developments. NAQP is open to participants of all ages, but the took a break and played with them for a few
Collegiate Championship is meant to be a contest minutes. This is not a normal distraction for most
In the Ontario QSO Party, within a contest, aimed at the new generation of operators, but it helped show that new Amateurs
Jack (Evgeny) Stezhka, Amateurs to encourage them to try contesting. – even ones not yet certified – will figure out what
VE3AQ, offered to sponsor makes things fun and interesting for them, and will
two Youth plaques: one for In Europe (IARU Region 1), Youngsters On The do something else when the need arises. Having
Ontario; and one for the Air is aimed at individuals who are under 26 years his daughter participate on her own terms made
rest of Canada. of age. The goal for them is to get together in for a lasting memory for both of them, even if the
different European countries and have fun. They score suffered a bit.
Typically, such plaques play games, come up with new ideas, new
are offered to Amateurs projects and plans for the future. As stated on It is good to see a variety of things being tried
who are 18 years and their website they have declared the month of and to see the success stories being shared.
under. The problem is by December “YOTA Month”: This seems to be the best way forward: show
the time a person gets “The entire month of December several youngsters youth how much fun we are having and
their Amateur certification, will become active with YOTA as suffix in encourage them to join in. That is how we all got
gets a station together and the call sign. The idea for this is to show the started – having someone show us the way, then
finds out about contesting, Amateur Radio hobby to youth and to encourage allowing us to chart our own way forward. It is
they very quickly “age out” youngsters to be active on the ham radio waves. also interesting to think how much things have
of this category. Give a demonstration in a school or local club, changed on the technology front since I first got
gather together with your friends, grab a pizza and my ticket and how different things will be in the
Realizing this, Stan, VE3TW years to come. It seems like the future of
and I came up with the make some QSOs or enjoy a great pileup. Let us contesting is in good hands as we continue to
idea of “Youth Plus all show this great hobby to the world! invite new participants to join in on the fun.
Grandpa”. This way, the Feel free to make a QSO with the youngsters,
they are happy to get some attention and
youth operator does not exchange information. Licensed and unlicensed Hope to see you on the bands!
need to have a certificate. youth will be making QSOs, be aware this could
At the same time, it be their first radio contact ever and give them a – 73, Tom, CG3CX
encouraged parents/ chance to experience a possible new hobby.”
grandparents to enter as a
team, allowing them to You can find more information about YOTA at: Note: As part of the Canada 150 Celebrations,
spend quality time http://www.ham‑yota.com. Radio Amateurs of Canada secured permission
together and to show for all Canadian Radio Amateurs to use special
younger folks how much One of the disadvantages of how most contests call sign prefixes beginning with CF, CG, CH and
contesting can be fun. work these days is that we have no idea how CI and those are reflected in the results shown
other stations are doing in relation to ourselves. on the following pages and also in the RAC
Enter the real‑time scoreboard. The idea has Canada Day Contest 2017 Results provided on
been around for a few years and is starting to pages 43‑48.

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