[CQ-Contest] Re: Scourges of Contesting

[Leigh S. Jones]

I love it.  Someone out there has even more extreme opinions than I
do.

I just want to chime in here with my vote on the latest scourge.  My
opinion on packet: I really prefer to do my contesting without packet
instead of contesting with packet.  Just a personal preference.  But
it's been something of a problem to me -- I have to use packet in
order
to compete at multiop stations.  Well, the world isn't perfect.

I also don't favor multiplier passing at multi-ops.  One of my pet
peeves is any multiop station who cracks pile-ups and then expects
the rest of the pile to standby while he negotiates a band change with
the DX.  How rude and low-rate.  Oh, no, I'm not saying that these
guys are cutting into their own scores by doing this.  No, they are
cutting into the scores of the DX stations by requesting special
services for themselves.  But, of course, I like doing multi-operator
efforts, so I'm kind of stuck -- forced to work packet and forced
to make efforts at multiplier passing.

If you guys ever hear me on from a multi-op station, try to be a
little
bit understanding of this.  It's kind of like having a new baby in the
family so you have to change diapers.  I make packet contacts with
my thumb and forefinger clamped tightly over my nostrils and a look
of severe disgust on my face.  My idea of a great rule change would
be to disallow packet and other forms of spotting at multi-operator
stations and only allow packet operation for single-operator assisted
category entries.  And disallow multiplier passing.  And how's this --
if a multioperator station changes frequency away from his run
frequency to work a multiplier, he should not be allowed to return
to reclaim the run frequency (plus or minus a couple of KHz) for a
minimum of perhaps ten minutes.

Thanks, Jim, for giving me an excuse to tilt at my own personal
windmills.