[CQ-Contest] Are you a WPX Plaque Sponsor?

[David L. Thompson]

I can only speak for the CQ 160 Contests but I do know getting out
certificates and plaques is a chore.
I have some help and the results are mixed.  Plaque Sponsors won't pay up or
quit amateur radio or even become SK.   If I have problems with the CQ 160
Contests I know the WPX and WW must struggle.  There is no national
association with paid workers to get out plaques and certificates  and I
always ask the question Why do sponsors pay for these plaques and often not
for volunteer run contests such as CQ.

Now as to K4WW's complaint about being left out of the results with no
comments...this happens due to too much reliance on computer checking.  I
have lost logs due to one log overlaying another and several that
disappeared.   I have a check in log that allows me to provide claimed
scores and then I move the logs to a final file that is updated when the
checking is done.   There are bugs in the best log checking programs (I
debugged 5 in the  CQ 160 cabrillo checking software last year).   I
personally check the top logs for missed errors and possible corrections.  I
also check major logs if the score changes (lowers usually) by more than 3%.
I also make all decisions about DQ (usually too many unverified QSOs).   I
feel sorry for K4WW as I know contest efforts deserve better.   But this is
my reasoning and even in 1400 entries I still get a few lost, missed, wrong
location, wrong classification.
The WW and WPX with 6 to 10,000 entries are much more difficult and we need
the computer to help us do a better job of assuring the scores are correct
the real winners identified!
73 Dave K4JRB

> Yes I am a WPX RTTY Plaque sponsor! Having never been fortunate enough to
> have won a plaque, obviously I haven't received one! I have received a few
> certificates, and none of them were received in less than a year from the
> particular contest! I'm more concerned with the omission of my log for
2001
> WPX without any explanation or response from the contest manager? In
almost
> every contest, I read in the soapbox comments "how much fun was had"!
While
> I agree 100% with "if the awards are going to be advertised, they should
be
> provided", if y'all are in CQ sponsored contest(s) for the fun, why are
> y'all concerned about the awards? There are far too many reasons as to the
> delay or non-receipt of advertised contest award(s), but, IMHO, the
primary
> reason is "too much for too few with too little"! From what little I know
> about the CQ award(s) program, it is a "bureaucratic nightmare", of which
I
> want no part of! Maybe the time has come for CQ to "fess up" and admit
that
> they will no longer provide ANY contest(s) awards? After all, "don't we
> enter just for the fun of it"?
> C'Ya, Shelby - K4WW
>
>
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