'OUR FADING HOBBY' 
JUNE 2014 RSGB RADCOM.

I have received a number of supportive e-mails relating to my letter which was published in the June Edition of Radcom. The RSGB entered into a full discussion article as a result.  'Our Fading Hobby' discusses the urgent need to encourage youth into the hobby and in particular the need for  youth representation on the board of the RSGB and other national and international organisations.  They are the future of our hobby.  The RSGB issued two a staggering and shocking statistics.  Firstly that out of 80,000+ licensed amateurs in the UK, the RSGB have only 21,000 members (some of which are overseas members and listeners) and secondly out of this membership only 295 are below the age of 25.

We really need to change our focus toward youth in order to prolong what may become a fading hobby.

I would like to thank all those who wrote to me by e-mail G4BWB@mail.com  I have written a follow-up response which I hope they will publish.


CONTESTS

Contests, both national and international are enjoyed by thousands of amateurs across the world. They help keep the hobby vibrant, alive and the bands active even though, in my view, a lot of fun has been taken out of them by the use of skimmers and other devices which detract from the hunting aspect and need for 'old-time' operator skill.

My real concern is that there are also many amateurs who are not contest operators and who can only get on the air at weekends.  Yet every weekend it seems the bands are saturated by wall to wall (band to band) contests which means that it's hard to go on the air for a normal QSO without having to fight through contest stations or be called by them, particularly on the HF bands.

I'm all for contests but I think that there is a need for some international regulation to be fair to all - contest operators and non contest operators.

I suggest either  of the following.

Contests be restricted to two weekends in a month internationally either say weekend one and weekend three,

OR

Contests should be restricted to certain areas of the band plan (appropriate to mode of operation), leaving part of the band plan (appropriate to mode of operation) free for normal operating.