[CQ-Contest] /MM in ARRL 10

[Kenneth E. Harker]

On Fri, Dec 12, 2003 at 06:54:24PM -0500, David A. Pruett wrote:
> I'm part of the team that does the logchecking for the ARRL 10M contest, so 
> let me clarify the situation with Ken's log, and also answer N4GN's 
> question.
> 
> First, for the ARRL 10M contest we expect the exchange field for a ITU 
> region station (either maritime or even aeronautical mobile) to be R1, R2, 
> or R3 as appropriate.  To be somewhat flexible, we'll also accept MM1, MM2 
> or MM3 as well.  In either case, this MUST BE IN THE EXCHANGE FIELD - i.e., 
> WM5R/MM2 with a blank exchange field will not get credit.  This is common 
> sense and consistent with the rules which say that the exchange for ITU 
> region stations is RS(T) and ITU Region.

Of course, I didn't work any /MM stations this year :-)

I have absolutely no idea how I would have ever guessed that MM1 or MM2 
would be an acceptable way to log that exchange.  Maybe if I were operating
CW and that's exactly what someone sent me, I would log it that way, but
on phone if the op says "region two," where would I get MM2 from? :-)

I think the contest rules should clearly specify that maritime mobile 
stations should send "R1, R2, or R3."


I guess this is one of those things that wasn't a problem before computer 
log checking.  Any spot-checking of a paper log being done by hand would 
certainly be able to correctly interpret any variety of designation for 
the ITU region.  It's only been a few years now that the 10 Meter Contest 
has been cross-checked by computer, and the total number of logged /MM QSOs 
in that time has probably been fairly low.

-- 
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Kenneth E. Harker      "Vox Clamantis in Deserto"      kharker at cs.utexas.edu
University of Texas at Austin                   Amateur Radio Callsign: WM5R
Department of the Computer Sciences          Central Texas DX & Contest Club
Taylor Hall TAY 2.124                         Maintainer of Linux on Laptops
Austin, TX 78712-1188 USA            http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/kharker/
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