[CQ-Contest] Some Contest-Rule Topics

[John Brosnahan]

Dick,

>1) Should QRP and/or low-power category entrants call stations using
>high-power, and ask them to listen for their QRP/low-power signal?

ABSOLUTELY NOT--Totally against the concept of QRP operation and
violates the spirit of contest competition.  I don't see much difference
between calling stations with high power and then reducing power and
calling them on the phone and then working them at low power.  Not only
is it unsportmanslike it also gives them an unfair advantage over stations
who choose the QRP class because they do not have a high power station.

>2) If the answer to 1) is no, should there be a rule against it?

If the rules are ambiguous then they should be clarified as what is allowed
and what is not allowed.



>3) Should single-band category entrants move contacts and/or multipliers
>to their band from other bands?

AGAIN, NO.  If you are a single band entry then you should be soliciting
calls on only one band.  To solicit them on another band no longer makes
you a single band entry in my opinion.  Again, not much different than
using the telephone to solicit stations.  Many stations choose single band
categories because they are not competitive on all bands.  To allow stations
to move contacts from other bands would require that all competitive stations
in single band efforts have all (or at least multi) band capability.  A
rule that 
states that single band competitors are limited to only one band 
(imagine the concept) allows stations with limited resources (financial, 
space, etc) and operators with limited time (family, business, etc) to
specialize 
in a band and be competitive.   To allow other types of solicitations,
whether 
it be operation on other bands, telephone, packet, etc is outside the
spirit of 
what is trying to be accomplished by the category, in my opinion.  But if 
what contest sponsors mean by single-band competition is really "lets create
a specialized category that can only be won by stations that have more than
what is indicated by that category" then they should so state.

>Note that most contests allow single-band entrants to make other-band
>contacts as a "check log." The question is after making these check-log
>contacts, can they move the stations to their band?

I don't have a problem with stations making contacts on other bands 
during a contest if that station wants more fun (although any time away
from the chosen band will be detrimental to a competitive effort, in my 
opinion--if the band is truly dead then a real competitor should be sleeping 
instead of "playing around" on other bands).  But the contacts made on
other bands should be handled as check logs and no solicitations from 
other bands should be allowed.

>4) If the answer to 3) is no, should there be a rule against it?

It is clear that there are two different opinions on this matter based on my
posts last year in this area and my subsequent petition to the CQ contest
committee.  I did not take an accurate (blind) survey, but rather stated my
thoughts and requested input, both pro and con, and received approximately
100 responses with over 90% in support on NOT allowing single band
entires to solicit contacts on other bands.  I subsequently filed a petition
with the CQ committee but never received any response on the outcome.

In this day and age there appear to be two types of people. The first type
tries to understand the spirit and tradition associated with the rules and
history
of a contest (or any activity, for that matter) and then operates within those
ideals, endeavoring to win by developing skills and tools better than the
competition.   The second group spends their time trying to find some
loophole 
in the rules to try to win by doing something their competitors haven't
thought
of or something that the competitors thought of but have dismissed because
they feel it is outside the spirit of the rules.   You might say that
contesting is 
just a microcosm of society, I guess.

I believe the rules should clarify what is allowed and what is not allowed.
 There
are currently many operators who believe that soliciting contacts on other
bands in the single band category is not allowed and not within the spirit.
 There
are also a smaller number of stations that believes that solicitation of
contacts on other bands is allowed.  This group has an unfair advantage over
the first group and since there are two interpretations of the rules then the
rules need to be clarified.

73  John  W0UN




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