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Author Topic: QST isn't dumbed down?  (Read 24592 times)
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k4kyv
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Don
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« Reply #25 on: June 03, 2008, 03:02:43 PM »

You don't subscribe to QST. It's the membership journal that's included with your membership. It's a catch-all monthly journal for a large variety of amateur radio interests and activities. I would also suspect it generates a substantial monthly advertising revenue. It's a slick monthly publication that's probably geared to highlighting amateur radio in print both domestically and internationally while providing membership with their own unique journal. QEX, on the other hand, is a bi-monthly magazine that anyone can subscribe to. position.

But still, the funding for that slick monthly publication doesn't appear out of thin air.  It comes out of the membership dues, which are not that much more than the typical $25-$30 annual subscription rate of any slick monthly publication of similar size, weight and page count.  So inevitably, a large hunk of the subscription fee is going into producing the magazine.  I haven't seen statistics on what portion of the membership dues goes to producing QST vs. what goes for organisational costs and membership services, but I would suspect that less than $10 goes towards the latter.

If they took the "slickness" out of QST, the monthly magazine could include everything that's in it right now including all the ads, plus 1/2 the contents of a bi-monthly issue of QEX, at no more than the current cost of producing QST alone. 

I used to subscribe to a magazine titled "Mother Earth News".  It had more pages than QST had at the time, but the pages weren't made of slick glossy paper and were slightly thinner, purported to be of recycled material, and the magazine still had full color display ads.  An added bonus of using non-glossy paper stock was that the ink didn't rub off when you handled the magazine with slightly moist or greasy hands. IIRC, the annual subscription rate was about half that of a typical "slick" magazine at the time.  I quit subscribing when the magazine went the "slick" route and the subscription rate went up, but the quality and variety of content went down.

The bottom line is that for many, if not most of us, a big chunk of our membership dues is wasted every month on a near-worthless stack of waste paper.
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Don, K4KYV                                       AMI#5
Licensed since 1959 and not happy to be back on AM...    Never got off AM in the first place.

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This message was typed using the DVORAK keyboard layout.
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W1UJR
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« Reply #26 on: June 03, 2008, 03:34:14 PM »

Don,

I suspect that, like most magazines, ad revenue is paying the bulk of publishing costs for QST.
In the magazine biz, subscriptions pay but a small part of the total cost.

You can thank the likes of Icom, Yaesu and MFJ for your nearly "free" QST.
Which is precisely why the magazine content is written to the demographic that it is; Icom, Yaesu and MFJ don't make their money selling products to home brewers and builders.

I don't have the breakdown of ad revenue at hand, but perhaps Peter could provide the actual figures.

Many have raised the very valid and correct point of the need to elmer newcomers to the amateur service, QST does this very well.
With that said, I read perhaps three items each month in QST, K2TQN's Vintage radio column, the editorial, and letters to the editor. Little else is of interest to me, I find Electric Radio, and pre-war QSTs do the trick.

-Bruce

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K3ZS
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« Reply #27 on: June 03, 2008, 03:44:08 PM »

I must admit that I am a cheapskate.    I spend my allocation for ham magazines with ER.    My public library has QST so I suppose, being a local taxpayer, that I am a partial member of the ARRL.    I never tried getting the mailing label info to see if I could access the members only section of the website.    I was a full member until the ARRL lobbied to take away my earned privileges in the 60's.    Had to travel 200 miles to Philadelphia to regain them, only to have them reduced again.   Finally in the 70's I regained full amateur privileges, only to see them eventually given away to anyone.

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Pete, WA2CWA
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« Reply #28 on: June 03, 2008, 03:44:50 PM »

I remember reading not to long ago somewhere on the ARRL web site (I did a quick eyeball scan of the By-Laws and Articles of Association but didn't find it) that 40 to 45 percent of dues goes towards the monthly journal.

I was using "slick" with slightly different meaning but I understand your point. I believe QEX also uses the same type of high-bright smooth glossy type paper. This stuff provides easier print reading, even with small fonts and provides a higher contrast with color print and photos. It seems to be the norm for many monthly and bi-monthly publications today.

The Journal provides a slick (as in sharp, cool, wow-factor) monthly presentation to the membership, and to others would might view the publication, on all the happenings, interests, monthly columns, excitements, etc. that are part of the amateur radio hobby.

If you were setting up a amateur radio display in your local mall or school, consider which publications would catch the eye and interest of the passers-by: the slick QST or a news-rag paper publication like WorldRadio.
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Pete, WA2CWA - "A Cluttered Desk is a Sign of Genius"
W1RKW
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« Reply #29 on: June 04, 2008, 05:06:55 PM »

At one time one could get QEX without being a member of the ARRL.  I used to do it.  Is it possible they changed the policy?
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Bob
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His fear was when I turned it on for the first time life on earth would come to a stand still.
Pete, WA2CWA
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« Reply #30 on: June 04, 2008, 05:27:44 PM »

At one time one could get QEX without being a member of the ARRL.  I used to do it.  Is it possible they changed the policy?

A simple click to the ARRL web site got this link:
http://www.arrl.org/qex/
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Pete, WA2CWA - "A Cluttered Desk is a Sign of Genius"
WA1GFZ
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« Reply #31 on: June 04, 2008, 07:46:41 PM »

I get QEX and not a member. I might consider a few more bucks but no way am I going for pay for a second useless rag and QEX. I tried QST a few different times and found it held my interest for about 10 minutes and it got tossed aside. After a year I had a pile of useless paper. QEX might have an off issue once a year.
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K9ACT
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« Reply #32 on: June 04, 2008, 08:02:11 PM »

  If one of these kids were to pick up a QST, they would be totally lost without the glossary of (SIMPLE) radio terms.


I was under the impression that QST was aimed at hams.  You make it sound like it is aimed at marginally literate children.

The terms Don cited are the sort that one is supposed to know just to get a license.

I frequently find hams expressing amazement that I do not subscribe to the magazine.  I have not even seen a new one for decades, let alone subscribe and these sorts of issues convince me that I am on the right track.

On the other hand, I bought a stack of 1937 issues on Ebay recently and enjoy them emensely and take them to bed with me.  They are not only technically challenging but open a wonderful widow on "a long time ago when the Earth was green".

Can you imagin in a current issue, the authors giving  the "gang" the "dope" on how to make a 20W " 'phone rig"?

Every picture and even the cartoons, depict hams in coat and tie and an ashtray with a butt smoking away.

Great fun,

js


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ka3zlr
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« Reply #33 on: June 04, 2008, 09:02:33 PM »

By Golly "that's" what is needed More Happy Chairs  LOL...Grin.......Not to concerned about Technical Chairs or aiding an abetting Technical Influence or building prowess thereof...and on the World Scale of things, Just ignore the obvious Technical Influence...it's Not Relative....
 
It's Like a Bubble gum machine with all white gum balls..put your money in, out comes a white Gum ball...well maybe, just maybe, some folks would Like a Red Gum Ball..or a Green one..Aaah, u gotta put more money in the other machines..it's just relative purchasing Choice..Now...there's the business to think of naturally... Grin

I dearly Enjoy any and all pre 1950's editions on my night stand as well..then there's the little cubby drawer i put in next to the throne ...has a little tilt door..fits 20 rags easy on end...greatest modification i made to this farm house.. Smiley




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Pete, WA2CWA
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« Reply #34 on: June 04, 2008, 10:59:56 PM »

  If one of these kids were to pick up a QST, they would be totally lost without the glossary of (SIMPLE) radio terms.


I frequently find hams expressing amazement that I do not subscribe to the magazine.  I have not even seen a new one for decades, let alone subscribe and these sorts of issues convince me that I am on the right track.

On the other hand, I bought a stack of 1937 issues on Ebay recently and enjoy them emensely and take them to bed with me.  They are not only technically challenging but open a wonderful widow on "a long time ago when the Earth was green".

Can you imagin in a current issue, the authors giving  the "gang" the "dope" on how to make a 20W " 'phone rig"?

Every picture and even the cartoons, depict hams in coat and tie and an ashtray with a butt smoking away.

Great fun,

js

Ya can't buy a subscription to QST. The monthly journal is one of the perks you get when you become a member of the ARRL. https://www.arrl.org/forms/membership/

Last time I wore a coat and tie was to a funeral.
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Pete, WA2CWA - "A Cluttered Desk is a Sign of Genius"
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