[CQ-Contest] Unknowing sins

[Art Boyars]

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"For the sins which we have committed before You knowingly and not =
knowingly."

As I read through the SSCW postings on the 3830 archives, I noted the =
following two cases.=20

CASE #1

>From the 3830 posting by a familiar Call Sign:

"[Call Sign] and I shared [his] great station on Saturday, each =
operating as single-ops.  10 was very active, I had a 120 first hour.  =
The first few hours were good enough that I could be very competitive =
with one radio.  Seemed like there were tons of QRP entries, most of =
them *very* loud.  Stopped after 10 hours to get ready to fly to OH the =
next day."

>From the General Rules for All ARRL Contests:

"A transmitter used to contact one or more stations may not be =
subsequently used under any other call during the contest period, except =
for family stations where more than one call has been issued, and then =
only if the second call sign is used by a different operator.  (The =
intent of this rule is to accommodate family members who must share a =
rig, and to prohibit manufactured or artificial contacts.)"

Note:  I have not seen a claimed score listed for [Call Sign], the =
"home" operator.  However, simply not sending in the score does not =
solve all the problems addressed by this rule.  (And maybe they did not =
use the "same transmitter" -- now there's a big loophole!)


CASE #2

>From the General Rules for ARRL contests on bands below 30 MHz (HF):

"One person performs all transmitting, receiving, spotting, and logging =
functions as well as equipment and antenna adjustments....  Use of =
spotting assistance or nets (operating arrangements involving other =
individuals, DX-alerting nets, packet, Internet, etc) is not permitted."

>From the 3830 posting by a well-known contester, claiming single-op:

"Speaking of the sweep, I've got a good sweep story this year.  =
[Moderately active station in rare section] called me about 5 minutes =
before the contest started on 10 meters.  I was tempted to try and =
ragchew with him till the contest started but didn't.  I never heard him =
after that until 1800 Sunday.  That happened because after my QSO with =
[Name, familiar call sign], he asked, "u need [that rare section]?"  I =
replied "r" and he sent "QSY 28056."  I took a listen on the 2nd radio =
and it was mayhem.  I called about a dozen times and figured I'd try =
later.  When I did, [that very station] was working split, but I still =
couldn't get through. The third time was the charm at about 2000 when I =
heard him CQ without a response.  I believe I would have found him by =
myself since he was loud and the attention grabbing pile-up was louder.  =
But thanks, [Name].  Maybe I can return the favor next time."


I think that none of the parties involved intentionally violated any =
rules, but the violations seem clear to me.  Many of us - myself =
included - have engaged in similar innocent (?) acts to add a little fun =
to the contest.  However, these innocent (?) acts can degenerate into =
serious violations of the rules.  Case #1 can lead to pass-the-mike =
contacts ("to help the Club" or "to help my friend").  Case #2 can lead =
to wrongly-claimed single-op achievements.  (I'll allow myself a =
curmudgeonly comment: With all the Packet nonsense nowadays, maybe =
nobody cares about real single-op).

I do NOT want to make an issue of whether these unintentional admissions =
of unknowing (?) violations should lead to any action by the contest =
organizers.  (But, if the perpetrators' Clubs beat my Club by a small =
margin, I might change my mind.)  Nor do I want to start any discussion =
of what the operators should do themselves.  I DO want to remind us all =
that part of ethics here is to know the rules so we can operate =
accordingly.

(People who would knowingly violate the rules do not merit my =
consideration.  I am very suspicious of a certain station, several =
hundred miles away.  He was receiver-jumping-up-and-down-on-the-desk =
loud all night long on 40 meters.  I would have thought that so =
efficient an antenna system would lead to a better score than what he =
claims.)

My own small pistol score report and story will soon be submitted to =
3830.

And congratulations to anybody who can identify the source of the title =
quote.



73,

Art Boyars K3KU  aboyars at erols.com

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