Cheating & "s/o unassisted"

[Wa2syn at aol.com]

Derek AA5BT, G3NMX NOTED THAT:     
     
Re cheating in contests, note the piece by W6GO in the latest          
DX Magazine.  People who later submitted "s/o unassisted"          
scores in SS-ssb, including some who won plaques, were using          
his packet cluster asking for spots for sections needed for          
a clean sweep.   According to him, people who used the cluster          
and entered as s/o unassisted included an ex-pres of "a large          
contest club", an appointee to an ARRL advisory committee, a           
volunteer examiner and a DXCC card checker...          
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Frankly speaking, cheaters will always exist; they have to live with
themselves, and we don't. I know of some heavy hitting contesters who
actually brag about their ability to pump out 3000 watts during a contest.
Their excuse is that "everyone does it." This is simply not true. Most of us
are honest competitors, and have a great time trying to do our best. But I
have a comment about this Single Op Unassisted category:          
          
I think that the time has come for all of us to recognize that we are in a
technologically advancing period in amateur radio history. Contesters are NOT
average hams, and many of our stations are quite sophisticated. We tend to
have the latest technology at our fingertips, including digital voice keyers,
computer logging, and PACKET. There is NO reason why a single op should NOT
be allowed to use packet in his efforts. After all, he is STILL a single
solitary operator, without logging or duping assistance. Operating a contest
station with packet connected is just a lot more fun, requires a high degree
of expertise to pull off technically, and gives the single op an opportunity
to weigh his own performance (in his class) against the great multi-op
efforts. 

It is NOT unfair to the op who chooses NOT to use packet, anymore than
computer logging/duping is unfair to the guy who "competes" with paper and
pencil,  or 87A's are unfair to the masses of ops who still must spend
precious time "tuning" their rigs and amps. And what about the DVK? Isn't it
really a virtual second op? We all make choices. There is no big difference
between using two radios or using packet, or doing both, as a serious single
op
entry. Half the single op *unassisted* entrants are probably monitoring the
cluster (unconnected) anyway. Let's make it legal!          
          
Packet keeps the single op connected to the amateur community. Why isolate
the poor guy who is READY to compete? In all fairness to the unsophisticated
ops who complain about their personal disadvantages, maybe we should create a
new class, "Single Op Basic" The SOB would not only be prohibited from
looking at ANY computer screen, but he would be required to submit
handwritten logs and dupe sheets, have tube finals in his exciter, have a
manual tune amp, no digital or vhf equipment in sight, and be forced to make
dinner for himself!  :]  
        
73 de Jeff Singer WA2SYN          
wa2syn at aol.com



>From Jay Kesterson K0GU x6826 <jayk at bits.fc.hp.com>  Fri Sep 23 17:51:51 1994
From: Jay Kesterson K0GU x6826 <jayk at bits.fc.hp.com> (Jay Kesterson K0GU x6826)
Date: Fri, 23 Sep 94 10:51:51 MDT
Subject: Sunday Sprints
Message-ID: <9409231651.AA03215 at bits.fc.hp.com>

I would like to have those Saturday nights free so I could go out (Mike it
just isn't the same going out after a contest, even a four hour one) but
I have one concern. In the phone Sprints I usually manage to attract a 
number of ops who aren't in the contest (or joined the contest because
they stumbled across it). Would these ops still be there after nine or 10
(eastern time) on a Sunday night? What effect will Sunday have on my QSO
total?

73, Jay K0GU                  jayk at fc.hp.com