Revision of my idea for contesting or DXing

In the post titiled "Contesting in my view", I did not intend to offend the contesters or the DXers themselves. Reading it back carefully, I noticed, it might be taken that way. If it has hurted any contest or DX lovers' feeling or if it was read as an article to deny the contest or DXing irself, it was not what I wanted to say. Maybe, I should have been more careful in revising it. I would thank a few friends having commented here or in the other site, who tried to make me notice of that. It was not my purpose to insult or to hurt the contesters.

I was questioning about something like an ethos in ham radio. It should be based on the sturdy intention to communicate with the other people. I mean a strong will to converse with the others and to understand them. But it should not be just a tool to play with, where the other hams are regarded just as means to get own pleasure. I am afraid there has been a change from the former to the latter in ham radio in recent years.

With the appearance of the internet and the other communication technologies, the HF radio communication has declined its status in the end of the last century. It has brought about drastic changes in ham radio as most of us know. Nowadays, in contests or DXing, the purpose seem "only" to compete with the others or to get a rare entity. It is just like a game without the definite will to communicate with the others. They often just look at displays for a rare one or any good ones they need. It is the time for them to turn off their  radios when the contest or the pile up is over. At least, I won't enjoy such a thing for a life long hobby at all. Ham radio should be a hobby to communicate with the others, where we could experience the others' lives together.

Someone insisted that contests were the only chance for him to get a rare DX with a modest set up. I fully understand it. For I have enjoyed it with a barefoot and a simple antenna for many years. The difference from him is that I have had definite and strong will to converse with the others by ham radio since my teen age days even though I scarecely could do that with limited knowledge of English and the very small set up. There has been another seemingly persuadable discussion that any kind of activity in ham radio could be of help to maintain itself. I could kinda understand it but still wonder if they know that most of contesters or DXers would turn off the radio as soon as the game is over. They won't show up any longer until the next one starts. Tolerance to the other ways of enjoyment, whatever it might be, should still be a basic attitude. It is not a debate or a struggle between religions etc. I am ready for that.　

Yes, I am still tolerant to the other ways of enjoyment. I join some pile ups by myself. Or, in such as BW QSO Party by FOC, I enjoy it as well. There are a few contests like WW CW or AA CW etc, where I watch the bands carefully and would give some points to my friends. But I still could not help thinking what is going on under those activities. We should be aware of things behind the reality.    


  1. Shin, I agree with you completely....AMEN
    You have stated it very well.

    Steve N6TT

    1. Steve,

      Thanks for understanding me. It is tough for me to do with a variety of opinions in the net.

      I will do more observation and prospect for the future.

      See you.


  2. Here was my other comment I posted on your original post:

    Shin, I agree with you that DXing and contesting has moved into a game of sorts. As I stated it has become completely different in today's society.

    The challenge of radio in general has changed with the influx of internet and more importantly keyboards and code readers. No longer is there a personal aspect to keying. In the old days you could tell who was on the end of the key by there banana boat swing or ever there paddles and straight keys. There was a individual or person behind it. Now there are robots doing it for them.

    This has become very discouraging to me. I am not tolerant of the robots sending and receiving CW. This is one reason I enjoy rag chewing. I like the challenge of trying to send perfect code at QRQ speeds with proper spacing between letters and words. With out this I would go QRT.

    Yes the hobby has changed a lot, I do not like it.As for the DXing and contesting, I do very little of it these days. Thank God for rag chewing with old and new friends. This is what keeps me going in radio.

    Steve N6TT 161

    1. Steve,

      You are quite right for every point. I always remember the great jewish philosopher and priest, Martin Buber. He told we were apt live in the world of "it and me" while the true world should be composed of "you and me". Depersonalization in ham radio must deprive us of the true joy of communication.

      But this belongs to the last thing in the world. There must be so many things before the last thing. We should admit there are the other ways of enjoyment. Since we have enjoyed the other ways they do right now, it must not be fair to exclude the other ways of enjoyment.

      All we should do is just to go on enjoying it in our own way, I believe.