[CQ-Contest] Single-Op - Stop the Rot

[Chris Tran GM3WOJ]

Goran S5500 writes :-
>many of  TOP
>operators for example in EU, anywhere using(monitoring) it but claiming
>SO -> cheating???

I'm afraid I have to agree with Goran - this year we were 
a Multi-Multi, signing GZ7V from Shetland, and we had
a really fast Internet link to the DX Cluster.   We were
receiving spots faster than many Eu stations I think.

One leading Eu single op., who has won a band as
SOSB Unassisted recently, would start calling the
spot sometimes within a few seconds of us dialling
up the spot frequency - if this had happened only once 
or twice I would have put it down to good Mult-hunting
technique, but the only conclusion I can draw is that
he was looking at DX Cluster spots.   We had the
same experience on both the Saturday and Sunday
with the same SOSB Eu station.

I'm somewhat comforted by this - now I think I know
how I was beaten into second place SOSB, being
16 countries behind, with no DX Cluster assistance
at my station over the 48 hours.

What can the CQ WW Committee do about this ?
Either : scrap the 'unassisted' categories entirely, 
and assume that everyone MAY have access to the 
DX Cluster. This is sad, but realistic - I personally 
think that the DX Cluster has taken a lot of the fun 
and skill out of our hobby, both Contesting and DXing.
or :
Include in the log-checking process some
'time-correlation' check between spots appearing
and mults. being worked.
This would be difficult, but not impossible to do ?
Until refined this process might not be as objective 
as the 'UBN' check, but I'm sure some criteria
could be agreed ?

Thanks to everyone who worked GZ7V - we had
to battle against 70mph winds and the aurora, and
lost our 160m and 80m antennas at around 3.00am
on the Sunday morning.  Shetland is a lovely place
to visit and we'll be going back I'm sure.

73
Chris   GM3WOJ
gm3woj at talk21.com
Visit  www.gm7v.com  for GZ7V Contest expedition photos



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