[CQ-Contest] M/S 10 Meter Contest - Question for Entrants

[Tim Totten, N4GN]

On Tue, 18 Dec 2001, Steve London wrote:

> Since the 10 meter contest does not require M/S participants to spend
> any specific length of time on a mode, will any of you admit to using
> an octopus arrangement (either manual, or software-controlled) to
> simultaneously operate CW and SSB ?

At N4GN this year, the answer is no, we didn't.  But we certainly intend
to next year!  Having recently played with one, I am leaning toward
investing in the Acom "commutator" (see http://www.hfpower.com/ACOM2S1.htm),
but perhaps I'll homebrew something that accomplishes the same task.

I think the more important question is how many M/S entrants can honestly
say they lived up to the "only one signal on the air at any given time"
rule?  We did, and I'm sure most of our competitors did (not that we were
even close to be "competitive" this year, HI).  But I've heard a good bit
of grumbling recently that causes me to believe there are some folks who
completely disregard this rule.

I've already received a private e-mail from someone who says he heard a
M/S stn violate this rule last weekend.  By pure coincidence, he heard
them transmitting simultaneously on CW and SSB.  He didn't tell me who it
was, but said it's one of the "top" scorers.

How do we stop this problem?  Personally, I'd rather not see a 10-min or
6/hr rule for the 10-meter contest.  I intend to improve my station (and
myself) to the point where we ARE competitive under the current rules.  I
just want to see everyone else play by the same rules.

The technology is available today to easily catch this kind of violation.
Let's just say it's mostly in the hands of government agencies with
three-letter acronyms.  But I predict that contest sponsors will have such
capability in a matter of 2-3 years, and I'd fully support them using it
to publicly humiliate cheaters.

73,

Tim Totten, n4gn at n4gn.com
http://www.n4gn.com


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