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Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 21:50:41 +0200
From: "John RABSON" <john.rabson@wanadoo.fr>
To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org
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Subject: Re: LF: Re: RADCOM
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Oliver,

It is not just radio.  Other enthusiast-based publications have the same pro=
blem getting suitable material.  I have noticed this with caving as well.  W=
e ended up with Speleonics for the general caver, the CREG Journal for those=
 with a technical bent and another specialist journal aimed at cave surveyor=
s.  The editor of the newsletter for my old radio club in the UK has the sam=
e problem every quarter.

Having been the editor for CREGJ, and still being on the editorial team, I a=
m well aware of the difficulties.  One approach we have used is to get a pro=
spective author to provide notes and sketches on what he or she has done and=
 then do a rewrite.  As Andy suggested, once you get into this area of journ=
alism it can be quite habit-forming.

One of our most successful contributors for several years was Jean-Jacques F=
auchez, F6IDE (SK) who was very good technically but was not at home with te=
chnical English.  He would draft things in French and my XYL and I would the=
n translate them into English.

The other thing that puts people off (and I have mentioned this in a respons=
e to something Mal wrote) is that they worry about the typographical aspects=
 and diagram standards.  Most journals I have dealt with will sort out the l=
ayout and typeface matters anyway and they will normally redraw your diagram=
s to their house style.  You therefore do not have to worry, as an author, a=
bout such things.

John F5VLF/G3PAI
Commissioning Editor, Cave Radio & Electronics Group Journal
British Cave Research Association

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 25/10/2007 at 14:28 Dr. Oliver Welp wrote:

>Hi all,
>
>I don't read RADCOM, but in Germany, we basicly have the same problem. I
>would
>love to see more projects etc. in the ham radio magazines, but when
>talking to
>the publishers, there usually is one basic problem: nobody submits
>technical
>articles. (anyway, they have lots of non-technical articles on stock)
>
>I can only guess but these might be some of the reasons:
>
>- Hams who are good technicians often are no good writers or simply not
>interested in writing.
>- Writing a good article makes A LOT of work - you could easily do another
>project rather than write an article. (and your fellow hams might call you
>at
>10 p.m. or 6 a.m. if their kit is not working...)
>- People who'd consider submitting an article are to shy to do so - since
>they
>think they are excellent enough for doing so.
>
>You probably can ask every ham radio magazine and offer to submit a=20
>_technical_
>article, and they will love you for that. Might be the same in Germany
>than in
>UK.
>
>73, Oliver
>(DL9QJ, N3NSF)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Zitat von Gary - G4WGT <g4wgt@tiscali.co.uk>:
>
>> Hi Mal, LF,
>>
>> You wrote :-
>>
>>> Think of all the construction going on for 500 khz transmitters, and
>antenna
>>> systems at present but nothing has appeared  in RADCOM.
>>> Does anyone else have an opinion.
>>
>> Perhaps the problem lies with the members & readers who should be=20
>> submitting ideas & articles to the RadCom team.
>>
>> I really don't know how they select for the magazine but if they=20
>> don't know the stuff is there how can they print it ??
>>
>> 73
>>
>> Gary - G4WGT - IO83qp
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>--=20
>[Dr. Oliver Welp
>welp@muenster.de]