[CQ-Contest] Log-checking errors vs logging errors

[Bob Naumann - N5NJ]

I'm going to try to clear up a couple of misconceptions in how some of
the log checking process works.  This is my understanding of the
process and I believe that it's accurate.

>         Case in point:  In the 99 CQWW SSB, I submitted 2589 QSO's
judged
> with 9 Uniques, 16 -B and 7 -N QSO's.  Of the 9 U's, 4 appeared in
> online databases (QRZ and Buckmaster online callbooks), leaving IMHO
> 5 true "Uniques".  I was penalized a total of 268 QSO points.  The
argument
> about giving me a break with my Uniques list does not apply since
those
> represented only 25 QSO points (9 uniques) worst case and possibly
only
> 14 points (5 uniques).

-B calls are not only those "Bad" calls that don't really exist.  They
are much more often "Busted" calls.  Even though you log a known good
callsign, that isn't always who you actually worked.

In our V26B operation two years ago, we had a lot of -B calls that
belonged to guys from our clubs at home.  Once the UBN report came
out, a lot of our operators were really ticked off about this as we
lost a lot of points.  We wanted to know what was going on since these
are guys we know and they were on.  Why did the CQ log checking
process mark thes "good callsigns as -B in outr log ?

Well, the fact is, after asking CQ for explanations, we found that we
worked someone else and logged these familiar callsigns in hasty
error.  In every case, V26B was in the other guys log as N since we
did not log their call correctly.  Note that they were
not "-N".  This means that we, not the other guy, lost credit for the
QSO since we busted their callsigns.

One real example:

We logged N3ED and got -B.  Nevermind that N3ED was at PJ4B, but
someone could have been operating his home station - right ?  Why did
we lose this QSO and why was Ed's good callsign marked as -B in our
UBN report ?  It's a good callsign isn't it ?  How did the CQWWCC know
that we didn't in fact work Ed's station ?

How ??  Because we really worked N2ED.  N2ED got a N for his contact
with V26B and did not lose credit for it.  This was one of many. (Too
many.)

It happens all the time.

Uniques do not affect your score at all.  The fact that they callsigns
are real and held by an amateur somewhere has no bearing on the fact
that they are Unique.  This means that your log is the only log that
contains that callsign.  There is no penalty.  They are only marked as
such (U) in the UBN report.  The opinion held by many is that these U
calls are probably -B (bad/busted) calls but there is no positive
proof that the call is bad/busted so no credit is removed.

If the 23 -B and -N calls were all 3 pointers, you would have lost 276
points.  As you only lost 268, there were probably several 2 pointers
that you lost credit for.

>The argument "The software treats everyone the same IS true, but
> human error does enter the process in judging a call U or -B so the
> process is not truly untouched by human hands and therefore it may
NOT
> treat everyone the same.

If the U call can be proven (with absolute proof by cross-checking
logs) to be a -B call, then it is changed.  This is the requirement
for manually changing a U to a -B.  If there is no absolute proof,
then no change is made and the call remains a U call without penalty.

> and have submitted some ideas to N6AA and K3EST privately.  I
personally
> don't have a problem with -N calls because they are not as subject
to
> errors in the log-checking process even though this may not be equal
across
> geographical areas due to the cultural differences you pointed out.

I'm not certain what errors are referred to here as the entire process
uses the "absolute proof" guideline in all situations.  If you worked
someone and have busted their callsign, what log checking error is
involved in marking that busted call QSO as -B ?

73,
Bob N5NJ


Robert E. Naumann
N5NJ / V26O
N5NJ at arrl.net
www.qsl.net/n5nj
Plano, TX  USA
ex KR2J, V26RN, W6V, WA2OVE



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