[CQ-Contest] ANOTHER SMELLY SUBJECT

K3BU at aol.com K3BU at aol.com
Mon Apr 5 23:27:46 EDT 2004


Al, D4B, $L5A at at at-communication.com writes:
>>I dont know if on the time when Alberto IV3TAN set world record on 160m
there is power limit in CQ WW or not
Im not sure if someone use same power he do can setup that record
I know people using much more or same power and cant do that<<

Power limit for Italy at that time was 300W. You do not need 3 phase 380V 
service to run 300W. If the country limit is 300W, unless one has a permission to 
use higher power, then one should not exceed that. He signs the declaration 
that obeys all the country and contest rules. RULES are RULES. 



>>Another question is why 1500 watt?
How russian op or people from another country including Italy can compete
with others when their country power limit is much less then 1500 watt?
Why we put them on the way to against rules of their country?
If we are looking to fair play then we have to reduce power limit to 200
watt or even less<<


For those we have now low power category, they can compete in that. Otherwise 
get your country government to change the rules. Back in OK land in my days 
there, few well behaved contesters were granted special permission to run kW. 
When I went to Bahamas as C6AYB for CQ 160 CW and power limit there is 250W I 
ran in LP category, underpowered with IC706 100W. It felt good beating world 
record only to find that you beat me, and for that congratulations! One time 
VP2M had no power limit, you can take a pick what suits you. But if they are 
rules, then we should play by them. 

>>Then almost everyone will be in same position and we will don't put him on
the way to against his own country rules
What amplifier is legal to use in contest for 1500 watt limit?
ACOM or ALPHA? Both of them giving more then 1500 watts and thats mean
everyone against the rules and only legal category is propably LP
With my opinion if you following rules its not make difference you running
1600watt or 10 kwt because in both situation you not meeting contest
requirement<<

That makes BIG difference. Little bigger amplifier for the contester is fine, 
when driven within the limits, it will produce clean signal and will last 
longer with perpetual CQing. We are not that much concerned with people pushing 
the Alpha or ACOM, but those who exceed their power by 5, 10 or more times. 
That is unfair advantage, violation of rules and unsportsmanship conduct. 
According to rules, calls for disqualification. In some case I believe CQ CC has 
quietly barred few contesters from participating in the next year or two and 
reclassified their logs as check logs.


>>Im sure Yuri you know many contest station running big power
I remember in former USSR in Ukraine people when they are have license for
5 watt running 1 kwt and more
Reason of that is quite simple they are have license to work only on 160m
and what you can do on 160m with 5w if you are novice?<<


When I started in OK land, we were restricted to 10W on 160 and 80 m. That 
was the best school of ham radio (besides being SWL) and we then progressed 
through to 200W and kW. If your license and country allows you to run say 200W, 
then there is LP category in the contests. If we were caught running kW instead 
of 10W limit, we would quickly lose our license. We had inspectors among the 
hams and they could smell the "samovar" and took the action.


>>I dont see also packet usefull in D4 for example because Im running and
running and if I will look in claster I dont think that will help because on
DX station will be great US or Eu pileup not easy to break
I have to find DXs my self thats easiest way to work them and its no time
to look to claster<<

On your own you can run up to 8 stations a minute, how many packet served 
QSOs can you run? Looking at the results in unassisted vs. assisted category, 
looks like without packet most stations do better. 

>>In Eu and US situation is different
Alberto IV3TAN result in CQ WW SSB on 160m is outstanding He do very well
Many people tell me that he have big power but he hear very well also
We know many people running big power but dont hear anything<<

I know how he was running, he sat whole contest on 1830, calling CQ all the 
time, blasted the "clear channel" with his extremely strong signal (300W to 
single vertical?) and then using simple beverages, he can "hear well" on a quiet 
frequency. Besides that, he had "assistant" who was running around the band 
and "feeding" him multipliers. I heard them talking at 2 pm in VE1, I understand 
little Italian. 
So here is the Italian recipe for world record on 160: Get 30kW BC amp, 
single vertical, few Beverages and multiplier friend chaser. Park on 1830. You will 
be so strong that you will blast wide channel clear and everybody eventually 
will come to you. If not, the 2nd OP will tell the multiplier to go and work 
you. Simple, Eh?


>>I try LP in 160m and I know how its looks even with very effective ants on
160m when ever second day Im calling stations during 4 hours before station
answer me hi
Alberto hear anything
Then if power is case then all old records setted on the time when its not
power limit have to be deleted and we have to start history again
I dont think there is lot of things we can do about power<<

Oh, we can do plenty. I brought this outrageous behavior on the reflector and 
I also said that if I hear signal like that from 300W and single vertical, I 
will get on the plane (or send my friend Tony) and pay a visit to the "champ". 
I want to know how you can get signal 40 dB louder than anybody else from the 
single vertical. I spent 40 years in search of that and have not succeeded.

>>In former USSR and lot of trys to fix that even sending inspections to
contest stations and what change nothing
Some station they are visit is loose license and thats it and other still
use big power<<

Few complaints and few inspections especially to those who we know or suspect 
of cheating would do a lot. I believe that Alberto since that "famous" 
operation has came down and does not produce such humongous signal any more. Did our 
bitching helped? Looks like it did. I hope he also feels better now if he 
achieves nice score within the rules.

>>I think there is another quite important issues
One of the most important is how to get in our hobby new generation of the 
contesters<<

You don't bring them in by letting them know that contest rules are joke, and 
"everybody" is cheating. Unfortunately the CB culture is creeping in with 
them cheap licenses now, it is up to us to set them straight when we see the bad 
behavior or rules violations.

>>I think its quite bad that we have to wait for results of the contest 1 year
Why ? I dont understand that .....<<

The rest is whole another bunch of subjects and many reasons why things are 
this or that. 
I initiated Tesla Cup contest, trying to address some deficiencies we are 
experiencing with contest rules and fairness. Offered it to ARRL and CQ to become 
godfathers and cosponsor it. "Not interested" Did contesting community pick 
it up? Nope. It has been out there for 4 years. It answers almost all of your 
concerns. See it for yourself at
http://www.k3bu.us/tesla_cup.htm
Will you join it? What about others? Can we make it more fair? We are open 
for suggestions.

>>I hear lot of rumors about CN8WW that they are using high power
Fellows look on their score Do you think its just high power<<

I see the pictures of amps in CN8WW setups, but never in Italian African 
operations.

>>I like to give my BIG THANKS to David K1TTT for his outstanding job<


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