K1AR's questions of what we want to see in the annual CQ contesting survey
arrived last week here on Inet. I gave it considerable thought and penned,
what, IMHO, I thought were pertinent issues. One of them being what to do
about guys/gals who run with high octane. Well, that question didn't show
up in the survey. His exact question in reference to power was:
"Are you in favor of limiting transmitter output power to 100 watts for
domestic contests?" Is this a feigned attempt to address the issue?
Why should it be limited to domestic contests?
The power issue falls into the same category of single ops using packet
(when it is clearly not allowd). Maybe there should be another contest
category grouping: Honest & Dishonest.
The ultimate insult is being beaten by someone who OBVIOUSLY uses high
octane and actually brags about it on the air. Their reputation is so
well known that it has become general knowledge, it has become part of
the local scuttlebutt. ANY abuses of the rules truly diminish the whole
idea of why we do this thing called contesting. We don't pursue this
aspect of the hobby for simply a piece of wood or paper.
We've been talking alot about level playing fields the last few months.
Before we do move ahead why don't we get our own house in order first.
Lets start by trying to impress on the new hams, the new prospective
competitors, that winning isn't worth a damn if you cheat. My $0.02.
............................................................................
73 de Walt Kornienko - K2WK (FRC)
waltk@pica.army.mil K2WK > W2JT or K2WK@N2ERH.NJ.USA.NOAM
____________________________________________________________________________
>From fish@crl.com (Bill Fisher (KM9P) Concentric Systems, Inc.) Wed Jul 13
>21:26:39 1994
From: fish@crl.com (Bill Fisher (KM9P) Concentric Systems, Inc.) (Bill Fisher
KM9P Concentric Systems, Inc.)
Subject: TS-930 report
Message-ID: <199407132026.AA08414@mail.crl.com>
Following up on the 930 front-end toughness...
We used 2 TS-930's at N4RJ for 3 years. Operating on the same band, same
frequency, ect... Never missed a beat!
If it weren't for the fact that we wanted to dive into S/O Assisted, I think
we would still be using those 930's. They were as good or better than the
IC-765 on CW and much better on SSB. I know I'll be looking for one in the
near future for my station.
73
Bill Fisher
---
Bill Fisher, KM9P
Concentric Systems, Inc. (CSI)
404-442-5821 Fax 404-667-1975
>From John Dorr K1AR" <p00259@psilink.com Wed Jul 13 22:21:05 1994
From: John Dorr K1AR" <p00259@psilink.com (John Dorr K1AR)
Subject: GAS
Message-ID: <2983216296.1.p00259@psilink.com>
Walt:
The high octane issue didn't specifically appear because I asked it last
year. The 100W question was not an attempt to dance around the issue, it
was an honest question to see how people feel about the tradeoffs
between running a real KW vs. 100W in contests such as SS.
I'm the first to agree that high power is not only bad for contesting
but bad for amateur radio as well. But frankly, I don't think it is
pervasive enough in our ranks to get all worked up over it (recent
scuttlebutt aside).
One final thought...my operating mode tends to focus on things I can
directly control (e.g., station, improving operating skill and contest
knowledge, etc.) and less on the things I can't control (e.g., worrying
about who is cheating).
There's another 2 cents worth for ya...
73 John, K1AR
p.s. By the way, if you segment out the non-contester's responses to the
question of high power abuse I asked last year (after all, many if not
most non-contesters think ALL contesters run gas!), the overwhelming
opinion was that it is generally a non-issue. Not scientific, just what
a few hundred guys thought...
p.p.s. And another by the way...isn't it great that we can discuss
issues like this in this manner!!
>DATE: Wed, 13 Jul 94 15:59:42 EDT
>FROM: Waltk@PICA.ARMY.MIL
>
>K1AR's questions of what we want to see in the annual CQ contesting survey
>arrived last week here on Inet. I gave it considerable thought and penned,
>what, IMHO, I thought were pertinent issues. One of them being what to do
>about guys/gals who run with high octane. Well, that question didn't show
>up in the survey. His exact question in reference to power was:
>"Are you in favor of limiting transmitter output power to 100 watts for
>domestic contests?" Is this a feigned attempt to address the issue?
>Why should it be limited to domestic contests?
>
>The power issue falls into the same category of single ops using packet
>(when it is clearly not allowd). Maybe there should be another contest
>category grouping: Honest & Dishonest.
>
>The ultimate insult is being beaten by someone who OBVIOUSLY uses high
>octane and actually brags about it on the air. Their reputation is so
>well known that it has become general knowledge, it has become part of
>the local scuttlebutt. ANY abuses of the rules truly diminish the whole
>idea of why we do this thing called contesting. We don't pursue this
>aspect of the hobby for simply a piece of wood or paper.
>
>We've been talking alot about level playing fields the last few months.
>Before we do move ahead why don't we get our own house in order first.
>Lets start by trying to impress on the new hams, the new prospective
>competitors, that winning isn't worth a damn if you cheat. My $0.02.
>
>............................................................................
> 73 de Walt Kornienko - K2WK (FRC)
>waltk@pica.army.mil K2WK > W2JT or K2WK@N2ERH.NJ.USA.NOAM
>____________________________________________________________________________
>From alan@dsd.es.com (Alan Brubaker) Wed Jul 13 21:53:25 1994
From: alan@dsd.es.com (Alan Brubaker) (Alan Brubaker)
Subject: Running gas...
Message-ID: <9407132053.AA16712@dsd.ES.COM>
This subject has been discussed off and on on numerous occasions
through the years. This form of cheating has been around for a
long time - not just in the U.S. either. Fortunately, for the
most part, the cheaters are not good enough operators to win, and
also fortunately, it is my perception that most of the winners
are guys that play by the rules and know that the beam on the
tower is a lot more important than the "beam in the basement".
If you can't hear the guys that are calling you, you can't work
them - recall the alligator syndrome. Just another 2% to throw
into the discussion.
Alan, K6XO
alan@dsd.es.com
High solar fluxes are for wimps...
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