[CQ-Contest] RE: Busted de K1JN

[Jim Kehler]

-----Original Message-----
From:	JNATALE at ebmail.gdeb.com [SMTP:JNATALE at ebmail.gdeb.com]
Sent:	Tuesday, March 07, 2000 07:42
To:	kh2d at usa.net
Subject:	Busted de K1JN

> Ethics - as far as log massaging goes, my log was submitted to ARRL within
> an hour of the end of the contest. I don't record the contest, and I don't
> have a database of busted calls to fix.

That's good. We agree on log massaging.

> when I click on a spot, and the DX station is telling everyone that calls
> that they are a dupe, it's a pretty good indicator that the DX stations
> call was spotted incorrectly. 

Yep. And it's also a pretty good indication that what I said was correct.
Most of the lumps aren't listening to who they work, they are just banging
function keys and screaming. Not calling people, calling cluster spots.
Not logging who they worked, logging who was spotted. Bad habit, for sure.

> quick way to let others know not to try to work the misspotted station.

Why would you want to do that ? I thought the object of a contest was to
beat the 'other guys'.  Maybe you could enlighten me and explain just who
these 'others' are and why you are concerned with how well they do in 
the contest. 

> Regarding scheduling of looking for busted calls, we don't do that yet, but
> we'll look into it at the next meeting of the contest lumps (sarcasm in
> case you can't tell).

I'm sure it already has been discussed. No sarcasm whatsoever.

> If you are a contest purist, then you are welcome to contest without a
> computer. You can hand log and dupe and please let me know you make out.

I've been using a computer to log in contests for 15 years. The fact that 
other people chose to misuse a computer in a contest isn't a very valid 
reason for me to stop using one. It's possible to use a computer without 
'pushing the envelope of technology'. Some of us can still copy full calls,
we don't need Super Check Partial. Some of us still feel that if we logged
a BUSTED call, we should be minus the points when the big tally occurs.
Computers don't have ethics. Only computer OPERATORS do.

> You seem to feel that you are an authority on the subject, but I don't see
> your score posted on the 3830 reflector. 

Oh jeez... I feel the words 'peers' and 'ICON' coming next. Which contest 
that I enter requires me to post my scores on the 3830 reflector ? I don't
participate in contests for 'peer recognition'. You won't find me written up
anywhere at Contesting.Com. I'm not one of the guys. I'm not an ICON. 
I'm a nobody. And I'm wierd - I go totally against the grain of contesting. 
I participate in contests for personal enjoyment. FUN. Go figure...

In my book, score does not a contester make. It's more important to me
how the game is played. Sorry, but I'm a reall whako. My parents 
probably did something to me when I was little that twisted my mind into
the terrible shape it's in today.

I don't turn my radio on at 00:00 GMT in hopes of destroying the world. I just
want to see if I can blow my own dress up by making the CT rate meter 
go a little higher than it did the last time I tried. If Sony made a Playstation
Pileup Game, I'd probably sell all my radios. Then I could have fun every
day instead of only four weekends a year. I can't get enuff of this pileup
stuff. I'm nuts.

I'm perfectly happy to wait a year until the magazine comes out to see who 
won, or just wait three years until my certificate gets here. I don't put the 
certificates on the wall, I put them all in the drawer or in a box. Most times
when one comes I don't even remember that I had entered that contest,
the mail man reminded me. 

If you'd like to check my creditials, go find the CQ world records and check
SSB 160 meters. That's the contest certificate I'm most proud of, and the only 
one I would ever consider putting on the wall. If I'm not the world record
holder anymore, send me an SASE and I'll mail you a copy of the certificate
if I can find it. 

And I honestly never realized that the 3830 reflector was the home of the
ethics experts. Thanks for letting me know about that.

> Are you so bored that all you have to do is criticize the actions of others? 
> If you don't care for the state of contesting as it is, then you can choose 
> not to participate, but leave those that do participate be.

Wow. That's an interesting view. I hope you don't apply that to real life.

Well, ARRL contests are pretty boring, since we don't have anybody to 
work but NA and VE. And every year less of those... But I still realize it's 
fun for the other kids to get a multiplier, so I mix it up for a few hours
anyway. 

And you think that if  I feel other people are doing something unethical, 
I should shut up and go away, not say anything about it.  

I'm sorry, but I don't agree with that. What somebody else does in a 
contest that upsets other people affects me too. I already knew what
BUSTED meant. But the guys on the cluster who kept asking "What's
all this BUSTED crap" didn't, that's why they were asking. They were 
upset because they were watching the cluster and tuning around looking
for some DX to work, on the weekend. In the contest. Maybe they were 
not all seasoned veterans who submit their scores to the 3830 reflector on
Monday morning like you, but they are DEFINITLY the guys I need to be 
around on ARRL DX contest weekends, because if they go away, the 
boring meter over here is gonna go way past BUSTED. I'm not going to 
go to the health club and workout for two weeks before a contest if I
don't have anything to look forward to but working 12 multi-multi stations
on the east coast...

Maybe it's my imagination, Joe, call me crazy if you'd like (join the club)
but there are a LOT LESS people participating in HF contesting today
than there were ten years ago, at least when you view HF thru my 
radio. Either that or my contesting skills have advanced to the point
where I can work as many people in two hours as I used to in two days,
which I seriously doubt.

I used to be able to work 2,000 JA's in a weekend. Now I'm 
lucky to work 300 if I try hard. I don't think that's an antenna problem.

There aren't enuff stations in North America contesting to keep me 
busy for two hours - every contest I work the same guys. I don't 
need Super Check Partial because I have all the calls memorized. 

I heard '1EA' on Sunday moring and I asked 'What's your suffix 1EA?'
I musta REALLY been bored....

Sure, I worked a few new KB6's over the weekend. But I can't 
afford to make them unhappy because I want them to come back again
next time. We should ALL want them to come back. 

I constantly hear 100 as the magic rate meter number. I've seen 300 
on my rate meter. I'm sure everybody else has too. For a few minutes.
I dream about how much FUN it would be for the rate meter to be stuck
up there around 300 for a whole weekend.... Only one thing gonna make
that happen. More people contesting. I know I can hit 300. But I have
no idea for how long. Because after 29 minutes I run out of people to 
work..... Antennas and towers won't make it happen. Only more people
will. 

I can't afford to sit by, shut up, and watch you have the attitude 
'if you don't like what we are doing, go away'.  

I can't afford to sit by, shut up, and watch while the contest community 
condones 'frequency stealing'. 

Because if I do, they'll be less people to work in the next contest. And less 
in the one after that. 

If you think I'm going to shut up and let somebody else's bad habits ruin
my fun, you must have me confused with Mr. Peeps. You might win, but
listening to me kicking and screaming is part of the price you'll have to 
pay for victory.

> I'm replying directly to you because the crap that you post is not worthy
> of public discussion (especially from the list owner), and I do not care to
> subscribe to a list just to be able to post a message.  It must be a
> terrible burden for you to be the self appointed expert commentator on all
> that is ham radio.

> 73,
> Joe, K1JN

It's no burden for me at all, Joe. It's a tuff job, but somebody has to do
it.  I make some people unhappy along the way, but I make a few new 
friends too. And I find it always makes ME feel better to say what I'm 
thinking instead of thinking about what other people would like me to say.

And you should subscribe, you might learn something about your peers. 
I did, and I found it very refreshing to note the kids are talking about ethics.
Which I find a lot more interesting than automatic coax switches.

Not to mention you might be surprised to find out that you are the ONLY 
one complaining about my BUSTED comments. So far, anyway. The rest of 
the kids are happily discussing BUSTED stradegies for the next contest.

So I'll just go ahead and post my reply to the list too, in the hopes that 
other people may benefit from your feelings regarding the discussion. 

I'm still very honestly curious to know who those 'others' are you are 
helping out with BUSTED and why you feel they need help. Do the names
Ruby Bagoneya or YCCC strike a familiar note ?

A good topic of discussion at the next YCCC meeting might be "Why Spotting
Hundreds of DL's, IK's, and OK's And Then Spotting Them Again BUSTED
Might Be Making People Turn Off Cluster Nodes And Radios On Contest 
Weekends". More is not always better.....

73, Jim KH2D
http://kh2d.net



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