Job Posting: Does Burt Know?

[WØTKX]

Somebody needs to step up.

HamNation on TwitTV is OK, but...

[KØWVM]

Ron, the news you just put forth on CQ's 'troubled' past just dampened my hopes of considering a subscription for their magazine. OTOH, I have heard the +'s / -'s about QST and the ARRL. Not sure what to take away from those who put forth the pro's and con's of an ARRL membership/QST mag. I have never had an ARRL membership in my 24 years of being a ham.

Honestly, I have had three ARRL invites since I have moved to the current QTH back in June. I was "off the US ham grid" during my three years in Germany... now that I am back in the US and updated my license address with the FCC... BOOM! Here comes the ARRL invite trifecta... and counting...

[W3WN]

What did CQ do to screw up their reputation?

Oh, let's see...

Not pay authors for their articles... it went from a few months late to a few years late to not at all. Cost them a few columnists, too.

Not deliver magazines in a timely manner... some not at all.

Took subscription money and never provided subscriptions (see above).

Promised current or back issues would be delivered "soon" to those who called to complain... when they got through to someone... and never delivered.

Folded the printed WorldRadio, converted the subscriptions to CQ, and converted "lifetime" WR subscriptions to at most 3 year CQ subscriptions.

Folded PopComm and CQ VHF, did the same... but didn't properly credit people with full remaining subscriptions, especially those who already had a CQ subscription.

Promised "free" e-magazines to subscribers, but wanted more $$ before permitting access.

Never refunded pro-rated value of remaining issues to people who cancelled. (Readers Digest does the same thing, as does ESPN the Magazine. I guess this is the new thing... cancel the sub, keep the money, figure it's too small an amount for someone to bother with small claims court.)

Basically, a lot of promises, few if any kept.

And I saw my WR subscription changed to CQ, only got 3 or 4 issues before that ended. Should have had another 4 or 5. My inquiries got ignored. So no, I don't want to see them fold. But until they get their act together, they're not getting another shekel out of me.

[WZ7U]

no, I don't want to see them fold. But until they get their act together, they're not getting another shekel out of me.

Yeah..........what he says!

[KØWVM]

But until they get their act together, they're not getting another shekel out of me.

Well, I think, like most anyone that is alerted by those affected... buyer beware! If a person pays for a product or service, then one should expect it to be fulfilled to their satisfaction and the company fulfilling their obligation to you for paying for a service with them. As it stands to me, I certainly am not going to invest my money in a subscription if they are having these repeated issues. Thanks for shedding light into that Ron!

[W3WN]

FWIW, I take no pleasure in detailing their difficulties. But it is what it is.

Now, if they are at Dayton this year, I will buy a few back issues. Last few years, it's been at $1 each. So I guess I can't truly say that they'll "never" get another shekel. The difference is, though... I hand them cash, I walk away with magazines on the spot.

But a subscription? Not a chance.

[W3WN]

Ron, the news you just put forth on CQ's 'troubled' past just dampened my hopes of considering a subscription for their magazine. OTOH, I have heard the +'s / -'s about QST and the ARRL. Not sure what to take away from those who put forth the pro's and con's of an ARRL membership/QST mag. I have never had an ARRL membership in my 24 years of being a ham.

Honestly, I have had three ARRL invites since I have moved to the current QTH back in June. I was "off the US ham grid" during my three years in Germany... now that I am back in the US and updated my license address with the FCC... BOOM! Here comes the ARRL invite trifecta... and counting...

Chad,

I know not everyone believes in the ARRL, or wants to join, or doesn't think QST is worth the price of admission. Those are decisions only you can make.

I joined back when I was a teenage Novice, and maintained my membership ever since. Overall, I think it was worth it. And not just for the magazine.

No big sales pitch here. Suffice to say, the ARRL is the only true national general-purpose organization that we have. They have the ear of the FCC (not that the FCC always does what they ask, but at least it gets considered) and as a resource for information and other stuff, well, there's just plain nothing else out there.

I won't dwell on. If you ask, I'd say join - at least give it a year and then make up your own mind. But you didn't ask.

And... how's that 30 meter antenna going?

[KG4CGC]

As for the AARP ARRL, they do publish some good books under their banner dealing specifically with AR so, there's that. I sometimes look for them at hamfests but I miss the RS books, cross reference lists with circuit examples. I'd love something just like those for the newer components.

[XE1/N5AL]

I wish the ARRL offered a subscription option for a downloadable version of QEX. So far, you can only get QEX through the mail.

[KØWVM]

And... how's that 30 meter antenna going?

Have the antenna finally up and it's actually a doublet.

One thing that worries me a bit is the fact I can't contact too many people back east (further than Colorado where I have had success). Local hams here say that the fact I am nestled up against 9,500 foot mountains makes it difficult to do it on HF. Practically turning my antenna into an NVIS one (for contacts back east) being up that close.

Contacts to the N, S or W are no problem though. Going to aim for some DX in the Pacific/Asia areas since it works well that way.

I am going to see if it will work better at different times of the day for contacts further east of Colorado... hopefully that makes a difference.