May 2006 - arrl-odv - reflector.arrl.org

RE: A Thought Regarding ARRL Contest Administration
by Joel Harrison 16 May '06

16 May '06

Dick, The Contest Branch has two staff people assigned to it. How do you come up with the $150K in salaries for contest administration? Joel -----Original Message----- From: Richard J. Norton [mailto:richardjnorton@gmail.com] Sent: Monday, May 15, 2006 1:23 PM To: arrl-odv Subject: A Thought Regarding ARRL Contest Administration The recent departure of Dan Henderson from the ARRL Contest Branch Manager position brings up a thought I occasionally ponder. The League spends roughly $150K a year in salaries for contest administration staff. The ARRL does not publish the lists of line-scores in QST. A commercial outfit called CQ Magazine has a contest program that is about the same size as the League's. They spend zero dollars a year on contest administration salaries, and do publish the line scores in their magazine. Who is doing what right? 73, Dick, N6AA

1 0

[arrl-odv:14069] Re: A Thought Regarding ARRL Contest Administration
by Bruce Frahm K0BJ 15 May '06

15 May '06

I echo Dick GIG's comments, particularly in ref. to timeliness of articles and awards. The depth of the online, as well as QST articles, and the searchable online score database are great. The online soapbox is underutilized (except maybe for Field Day) but I assume that consumes minimal ARRL expense. Bruce

1 0

RE: [arrl-odv:14066] Re: A Thought Regarding ARRL Contest Administration
by Kay Craigie 15 May '06

15 May '06

I belong to a major contest club whose members I've heard beefing long and loud about how it takes several years to get the certificates, etc., won in the CQ contests. They kvetch about ARRL too, but they admit that we send them their goodies while they can still remember what they won them for. 73 - Kay N3KN

1 0

[arrl-odv:14067] Re: A Thought Regarding ARRL Contest Administration
by Sumner, Dave, K1ZZ 15 May '06

15 May '06

I'd hate to have "$150k in salaries for contest administration staff" gain any currency. The actual budgeted amount for salaries AND benefits for the contest branch is about half that much. Dave

1 0

[arrl-odv:14066] Re: A Thought Regarding ARRL Contest Administration
by dick＠pobox.com 15 May '06

15 May '06

15 MAY 2006 - 1520 CDT Hello Dick... ARRL contest administration is a noticeable item in our annual budget. But in defense of this expenditure, I would like to point out that in descending order; contesters (both HF and VHF & Higher), DXers, and satellite users generally spend much more for equipment than other groups of hams. They also have larger percentages of ARRL members, and I believe they each donate more to the ARRL than any other comparable group. =D> On this basis, I believe the expenditure of 150 K on contest, DX, and other operating awards programs is money well-spent. :-) You point out that CQ incurs zero cost with its contest (operating) programs. In this part of the country, one of the most persistent complaints is how long it takes to get CQ contests scored and the awards distributed. Some- times the CQ awards, even the certificates, arrive two or more years after the contest. :-( This is because they use unpaid volunteers who have to first earn a living before they can administer amateur radio operating programs. See you at Dayton... 73 - Dick, W9GIG

1 0

[arrl-odv:14065] Re: Hamvention Figures
by Sumner, Dave, K1ZZ 15 May '06

15 May '06

We're not in any danger in Connecticut. We're just soggy. Dave -----Original Message----- From: dick(a)pobox.com [mailto:dick@pobox.com] Sent: Monday, May 15, 2006 4:03 PM To: arrl-odv Subject: [arrl-odv:14064] Re: Hamvention Figures 15 MAY 2006 - 1455 CDT Hello Jim... I wish I had the power to control, or at least modify, the weather. The gigantic "cut-off" low pressure system that first soaked portions of the upper midwest, is now creating havoc in New England. This type of storm pattern is unusual for this area, this time of the year. Lack of jet stream directed weather usually happens around here in mid summer. But the jet stream has taken a northerly (summer) track 2 or 3 times the last 30 days. However these two cut-off lows have broken a two year drought in the Chicago area - which the U.S. Weather Service described as extreme from last summer through February of this year. Hopefully, we will see at least some partially sunny days in Dayton later this week. 73 - Dick, W9GIG

1 0

[arrl-odv:14064] Re: Hamvention Figures
by dick＠pobox.com 15 May '06

15 May '06

15 MAY 2006 - 1455 CDT Hello Jim... I wish I had the power to control, or at least modify, the weather. The gigantic "cut-off" low pressure system that first soaked portions of the upper midwest, is now creating havoc in New England. This type of storm pattern is unusual for this area, this time of the year. Lack of jet stream directed weather usually happens around here in mid summer. But the jet stream has taken a northerly (summer) track 2 or 3 times the last 30 days. However these two cut-off lows have broken a two year drought in the Chicago area - which the U.S. Weather Service described as extreme from last summer through February of this year. Hopefully, we will see at least some partially sunny days in Dayton later this week. 73 - Dick, W9GIG

1 0

[arrl-odv:14063] Hamvention Figures
by Jim Weaver, K8JE 15 May '06

15 May '06

Ladies and Gentlemen, I just received an E-mail that reports the Hamvention(r) has received about 20 additional indoor vendor registrations vs. last year and that ticket sales are up somewhat over last year. Add to this that the weather forecast is improving a little (we've "enjoyed" the effects of a strong stationery front over Lake Michigan the past several days - thanks Dick) so that we have hope for better-than-typical Hamvention weather. All this is leaving the Hamvention folks optimistic. Provided the forecasts pan out, ARRL ought to experience an excellent weekend. Incidentally, the DX Banquet on Friday evening will highlight a couple of controversial operations. Probably most controversial of these is the abbreviated KP5 operation. The after-dinner activities might prove interesting. It wasn't intended to be so, but events subsequent to banquet scheduling might make it so. Jim Weaver, K8JE Director, Great Lakes Division Chairman, Legislative Action Committee 5065 Bethany Rd. Mason, OH 45040 K8JE(a)arrl.org; Tel., 513-459-0142; FAX, same ARRL, the Reason Amateur Radio is! Members, the Reason ARRL is!

1 0

[arrl-odv:14062] Re: A Thought Regarding ARRL Contest Administration
by Jim Weaver, K8JE 15 May '06

15 May '06

Dick, Without offering a specific answer to your valid question, I will simply say I am an advocate of utilizing volunteers to supply selected needs in ARRL operations. I fully believe we have enough of the "right" people in our membership so that we could do this successfully; thereby, extending our services and/or saving money for the membership while achieving greater member-involvement and loyalty concurrently. I've had under-whelming success in spreading this .philosophy Jim Weaver, K8JE Director, Great Lakes Division Chairman, Legislative Action Committee 5065 Bethany Rd. Mason, OH 45040 K8JE(a)arrl.org; Tel., 513-459-0142; FAX, same ARRL, the Reason Amateur Radio is! Members, the Reason ARRL is! -----Original Message----- From: Richard J. Norton [mailto:richardjnorton@gmail.com] Sent: Monday, May 15, 2006 2:23 PM To: arrl-odv Subject: A Thought Regarding ARRL Contest Administration The recent departure of Dan Henderson from the ARRL Contest Branch Manager position brings up a thought I occasionally ponder. The League spends roughly $150K a year in salaries for contest administration staff. The ARRL does not publish the lists of line-scores in QST. A commercial outfit called CQ Magazine has a contest program that is about the same size as the League's. They spend zero dollars a year on contest administration salaries, and do publish the line scores in their magazine. Who is doing what right? 73, Dick, N6AA

1 0

A Thought Regarding ARRL Contest Administration
by Richard J. Norton 15 May '06

15 May '06

The recent departure of Dan Henderson from the ARRL Contest Branch Manager position brings up a thought I occasionally ponder. The League spends roughly $150K a year in salaries for contest administration staff. The ARRL does not publish the lists of line-scores in QST. A commercial outfit called CQ Magazine has a contest program that is about the same size as the League's. They spend zero dollars a year on contest administration salaries, and do publish the line scores in their magazine. Who is doing what right? 73, Dick, N6AA

1 0