[CQ-Contest] Going Over to the Dark Side

[Mike Gilmer, N2MG]

Perhaps a kind of "last-minute, as-the-contest-ends, make-one-more-QSO" 
rush overwhelmed their sensibilities.  Unfortunately, folks form 
opinions about contesters/Contesting in general based on one (or a few) 
incident(s) involving one (or a few) operator(s).  Regardless of 
whether these collisions in our shared spectrum are deliberate,  
mistakes, or caused by stupidity does not seem to matter -  they get 
Contesting in trouble and we should be aware of this.  It does not 
mean, however, that we should overreact.  I think the ratio of 
"accidents" to numbers of QSOs is no worse (or even less) for 
contesters than for the general ham population.  We just make more 
QSOs. Contesting has little to be ashamed of.

Mike N2MG


WN3VAW wrote:

> ...the NAQP ended at 0600.  I checked my log, the incident in 
> question happened between 0550 - 0600 Z. I'm not sure why that 
> was important, but enough people asked me about it that I guess 
> it was.