[CQ-Contest] unique contacts and logging errors

[DOUGLAS ZWIEBEL]

Unless you are rare DX, it is exceedingly difficult to work a "unique"
station in the CQWW contest (probably most other contests).

Over the last two decades, I have (first-hand) investigated hundreds of
"unique" qso's (probably > 1000).  In all that time, I have found ONE
genuine unique qso.

The methodology is quite simple.  Contact the "unique" callsign and ask if
s/he was in the contest (date, time, band, etc).  Alternatively (if
possible) contact the country's licensing entity and see if the callsign was
issued (no, not contact the qsl bureau or the country "ham association").

If you're curious, the only TRUE uniqueI ever found was in the log of WA2C.
He worked some G station (I forget who).  Roger (G3SXW) was kind enough to
contact this guy and was equally kind to send me the letter from this G
confirming that he worked ONLY ONE QSO in the contest, namely WA2C.  I
forget what year.

With high probability and high confidence, Uniques are busted calls....but
if you can't PROVE that the qso did not take place, then there should be no
deduction just because it is a "unique."

de Doug KR2Q