All,
1) The main purpose of my original message dated February 13, 2018 was to
inform our fellow contesters that Bart, W9JJ, ARRL Contest Branch Manager,
kindly confirmed that ARRL would not disqualify 4U1WB’s future ARRL DX
Contest entries citing that the 4U1WB call sign does not identify the
station’s location (i.e., Washington, DC, United States) as defined by the
DXCC List. Please see Rule 6.1 below: The station call sign must identify
the station’s location as defined by the DXCC List. (KH6XYZ/W1 in Maine,
KG4/W1INF at Guantanamo Bay, etc).
I contacted Bart because of the two 2017 WPX Contest DQs that were
discussed on this reflector in October last year. Terry Zivney, N4TZ, CQ
WPX Contest Director, decided to disqualify 4U1WB in the 2017 WPX SSB
Contest as well as the CW Contest. The same Contest Director did not
disqualify 4U1WB in the previous year while the relevant rule was not
amended. These DQs were later reversed and the relevant rule was revised
for the 2018 WPX Contests.
I hope that nobody would ask us to use 4U1WB/W3 in the future. I also hope
that DX stations in the ARRL DX Contests would be happy to work 4U1WB
rather than being annoyed and thinking that 4U1WB does not know the rules.
2) In response to my original message regarding the ARRL DX Contest rule,
Ed, N1ER, mentioned the following about the WPX Contests: As to WPX, a 4U1
callsign is clearly an advantage in a Prefix contest. It does not seem fair
to me that a 4U1 can compete equally with a W1 in the WPX contest.
I understand that Ed stated the following in his October 29, 2017 post (
http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/CQ-Contest/2017-10/msg00287.html
<http://lists.contesting.com/archives/html/CQ-Contest/2017-10/msg00287.html>):
Regardless of the fact that WPX does not count 4U1WB as a special mult vs
all other unique prefixes, it can be strongly argued that it would generate
plenty of extra activity from general ham DXers. I think its an unfair
advantage to have a 4U1 competing with its home country peers.
I fully agree with Dave, K3ZJ, that in the WPX Contests, using a 4U1
callsign is not an advantage compared with a common prefix, such as W1, or
a semi-rate one, such as AJ3. If I want to compete seriously in a WPX
Contest from 4U1WB, I should focus on low band QSOs with Europeans. As Ed
pointed out, the 4U1 prefix does not give you a bonus point. It is just one
of many multipliers, just like W1 and AJ3. Because of the rare 4U1 prefix,
many US/VE stations call 4U1WB, which is not good for my overall score.
Should I ignore them? No. I work them as quickly as possible, thanking them
for all the QSOs without saying thank you on the air. As Dave mentioned, I
have asked fellow contesters to let me join their teams to compete
seriously and have been invited to be part of serious competitive efforts.
As a result, I have operated at superstations, such as N3HBX and K4JA. When
I activate 4U1WB, it is for fun. I am happy to give out a DC or 4U1
multiplier in contests and enjoy short QSOs with fellow contesters.
Ed, N1ER, looked at 4U1WB spots outside contests and noticed that 4U1WB
generated a lot of interest. He added that when he operates as AC1U, he
does not generate no such special interest. If many people besides Ed (
http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/CQ-Contest/2018-02/msg00110.html)
feel strongly that using 4U1WB is not good sportsmanship, I would be happy
to participate in a WPX contest from my alma mater’s club station, W1ET, in
Hanover, New Hampshire. Does the club station have wicked good antennas?
No. Can W1ET compete with WC1M? No. I am sure that I would still have a lot
of fun.
73,
Masa, AJ3M
On Thu, Feb 15, 2018 at 11:45 AM, David Siddall <hhamwv@gmail.com> wrote:
> What's the problem? The more distinctive the station or location, the
> better! It all adds to the fun and can draw casual operators into the
> contest. Masa doesn't seem to have a problem with callers unsure of his
> QTH, why should you?
>
> We all don't have to have multiple monobanders wavelengths high on top of
> hills in quiet rural locations with multiple element phased arrays on the
> low bands to have fun. And a serious competitor shouldn't feel threatened
> by a tribander low on the roof of an office building in downtown DC with
> just a wire for 40M and below, a constant noise floor at least 25 dB above
> that at most stations, and a transmit signal many dBs weaker in all
> directions.
>
> Yes, Masa is an excellent operator. When operating competitively, he is
> found at superstation N3HBX, including during some WPX contests. He also
> has operated at B1Z, K4JA, and some others as well.
>
> And I hope that he will activate 4U1WB for some fun again this year, even
> though almost everyone has a much better chance to work him than I do
> because of skip zones from 100 miles away.
>
>
> 73, Dave K3ZJ
>
>
>
> On Thu, Feb 15, 2018 at 10:18 AM, Ed Sawyer <sawyered@earthlink.net>
> wrote:
>
> > Actually, if you look at spots for 4U1WB when Masa operates outside of
> > contests – he generates A LOT of interest because of the unusual
> situation
> > and uniqueness of 4U1WB. When I operate as AC1U, I generate no such
> > special interest.
> >
> >
> >
> > Nothing prevents Masa from legally using AJ3M at the WB station. It’s a
> > duly licensed FCC radio operator operating a station in the US. There
> are
> > no “station licenses” in the US. Only operators in locations.
> >
> >
> >
> > If the point of being on this weekend is to hand out DC, he would be way
> > better off being AJ3M than 4U1WB. The opposite is the case in WPX.
> >
> >
> >
> > 73
> >
> >
> >
> > Ed N1UR
> >
> >
> >
> > *From:* David Siddall [mailto:hhamwv@gmail.com]
> > *Sent:* Thursday, February 15, 2018 9:49 AM
> > *To:* cq-contest
> > *Cc:* Ria Jairam; sawyered@earthlink.net
> > *Subject:* Re: [CQ-Contest] 4U1WB: ARRL DX Contest: Rule 6.1
> >
> >
> >
> > Come on, Ed, you know better. In WPX, there is no advantage of using 4U1
> > over, say, AC1.
> >
> >
> >
> > Masa's main station is 4U1WB, whether its WPX or any other contest.
> N1UR,
> > on the other hand, became AC1U for the two weekends and was the only AC1
> in
> > the same contests. K3ZJ became WR8AA in a part-time effort on one of the
> > weekends too. All three of us were on equal ground callsign-wise. We
> each
> > used a callsign that, at least for entries, had a unique prefix.
> >
> >
> >
> > But among us, only Masa used the everyday normal callsign for the station
> > he operates from. And you were the only one to make a serious
> competitive
> > effort.
> >
> >
> >
> > BTW, had Masa operated elsewhere and used his personal callsign (AJ3M),
> it
> > also would have been a unique callsign in both modes.
> >
> >
> >
> > There is nothing wrong with any of this, but I would conclude that you
> > used a rare callsign to gain a competitive advantage; I used one to give
> > out a mult during my limited time on the air; and Masa just used the
> > callsign of the station he operated, as he usually does.
> >
> >
> >
> > So to say that "it does not seem fair" is, to me, twisted. Masa just
> did
> > his normal thing at his normal station. You did not.
> >
> >
> >
> > 73, Dave
> >
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Feb 15, 2018 at 8:43 AM, Ed Sawyer <sawyered@earthlink.net>
> wrote:
> >
> > You can put in the effort to improve antennas and location. But no
> matter
> > how much effort you put in, you can’t make up a call sign like 4U1WB. It
> > has to be bestowed on you.
> >
> >
> >
> > In the ARRL DX contest – its of no value – in fact its clearly a
> > hinderence. Being right, but having to repeat and explain is a contest
> > killer. But in WPX, no one cares where you are (other than wondering why
> > the points for the Q don’t look right), they just know they need a new
> > prefix. Add that to the fact that some percentage of callers probably
> > think they just worked a new one (4U1 must be UN HQ no?) and its just not
> > good sportsmanship in my opinion.
> >
> >
> >
> > 4U1WB and any other 4U1 should compete for NA not for W.
> >
> >
> >
> > 73
> >
> >
> >
> > Ed N1UR
> >
> >
> >
> > From: rjairam@gmail.com [mailto:rjairam@gmail.com]
> > Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2018 8:26 AM
> > To: sawyered@earthlink.net
> > Cc: cq-contest@contesting.com
> > Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] 4U1WB: ARRL DX Contest: Rule 6.1
> >
> >
> >
> > Fair? Nothing is fair... might as well require everyone to operate with
> > the same antennas and location while you’re at it.
> >
> > Ria
> > N2RJ
> >
> > On Thu, Feb 15, 2018 at 8:23 AM Ed Sawyer <sawyered@earthlink.net>
> wrote:
> >
> > Masa, Why don't you just get a W3 call sign and avoid this mess? You
> will
> > never be competitive in ARRL DX having to explain who you are. I am sure
> > that many DX stations would be very happy to work a W3 from DC.
> >
> >
> >
> > As to WPX, a 4U1 callsign is clearly an advantage in a Prefix contest.
> It
> > does not seem fair to me that a 4U1 can compete equally with a W1 in the
> > WPX contest.
> >
> >
> >
> > Ed N1UR
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > CQ-Contest mailing list
> > CQ-Contest@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > CQ-Contest mailing list
> > CQ-Contest@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
> >
> >
> >
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