[CQ-Contest] New Rules!

[Bob Gates]

Sorry everyone, but have been a bit under the weather for a while, and e-mail
has been on the bottom of my priority list.  But there were several replies to
my original proposals, and some clarification is needed.  So I've dragged myself
from my bed, and will take all the replies and try to answer them here.  Unless
my wife comes home and catches me.  Then it's back to bed immediately.
___________________________________

I guess I am disqualified. I always use my french, canadian, British, russian,
German, Bulgarian, ZL, and VK accents. Don't forget to send your callsign
numbers in the other countries language. such as an eight would be hatchi, ocho,
ach, and so on.

K8KHZ

Oh, absolutely right.  With so many accents you could cause total chaos.  What
if you accidentally used your French accent while contacting a Bulgarian
station?  Well, the entire contest could be thrown into disarray!   Am afraid
you'll have to operate CW only.  Sorry.

____________________________________

Hilarious.  I'mn rusty at contesting but I got a laugh out of all this.

1)  What if a person born in a foreign country, still sporting a real
accent, is operating stateside in a contest?  What if a foreigner is
visiting stateside and operating from one of our fine stations?  Conversely,
shouldn't foreign countries implement the same rule, essentially beating up
on Americans operating from their fine countries?  In summary, if you are
focusing on accent only, you need to fine tune your operating skills.  And
what do you do about Jim Neiger operating from D44?  He sounds awfully
American to me....

Do we really want furriners operating our fine stations?  Let them get their
own.  Or practice up on their accent.  Having the local operator enter every
possible exchange in a voice keyer would preclude the "guest" operator from ever
opening their mouths and giving themselves away.  And regarding Jim, it seems
like during the last test the Americans outnumbered the rest of the entire
population.  Besides, anyone who voluntarily flies to a hole in the ocean every
year is deserving of some consideration.

2)  Ooops. Not listening to the exchange to determine the true multiplier or
location?  Shame on you!

I listen to the exchange just to make sure it hasn't changed since the start of
the contest.  Besides, it's already in my log.

3)  Wait, I think FCC Rules (and in most other countries too) require ID
somewhere during each QSO.  I might be showing my age here though.  Even so,
this seems in conflict with #1 since you were listening to accent only, you
probably already thought you knew the location of the station based on that
alone.

Well, your partially correct.  Most Florida operators sound like New Yorkers,
New Englanders are a snap unless they've moved from California so they can hear
what Europeans sound like.  Mid-Westerners can be identified by their calling CQ
and never getting an answer.  Some other areas are a little more difficult.
(Boy, is this going to get me flamed!)

4)  Wait a minute.  No such rule exists for CW and sometimes I can't copy
certain stations ripping beyond my 60 wpm copy limit. Amazing but true.  I
just move on.  If they're working stations beyond my ability, time for me to
move on.  Same goes for SSB.  Either that or I'll download an update to my
Super Duper Speech Recognition Software.

Operator error.  Sorry.  All CW ops should be able to send/receive at least
60wpm.  And there's no accent to worry about, unless someone throws in a foreign
word.  But since most of us can't copy that fast, we don't know what we're
missing anyway.

5)  I like this idea!  Some more factors need to be plugged into the POW
test equipment.  Antenna gain, transmission line loss, connector loss,
transmitter efficiency, transmitter tuning accuracy (for tube finals) and
probably some other things.  Of course, the POW equipment could be
calibrated for maximum expected signal strength based on the factors you
mentioned.  And anyone excedding M.E.S. would be D.Q.ed.  This idea has
potential!

Very good points! the POW can easily incorporate these ideas.  Unfortunately,
some require vacuum tubes, and I think the world supply is pretty diminished.

6)  This is only for certain classes, right?  I think certain classes
actually allow packet spotting?  I might be older now, but I think I read
that in QST.  Right?  :)

Nope, no classes and no spotting.  All the M/M with 12 rigs running
simultaneously can find their own mults.

--Dennis, N6TFIC (N6TongueFirmlyInCheek), UH, NE6I (rusty and getting
rustier in contests...)

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Quack additions:

I think there should also be a pentalty for Mobiles operating in FQP from
using inferor  antenna to keep the Left coast from hearing them.  and then
When we call them not coming back after no more than 2 calls.   N4TO  almost
always comes back to QQ on 1 or 2 calls, Many others ignore me.

Quack    aka  K7QQ

Quack, I hate to say this, but it may be something other than an antenna issue.
Graphic profanity directed at members of the Right Coast may have something to
do with it.  Or have you checked your feed line to see that it's actually
connected to the antenna.  Transmitting into feed lines only has been shown to
reduce your ability to radiate.  But bottom line, there are a lot of Right
Coasters who are just plain mean.  They don't like all the Yankees moving into
their state.

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you missed April 1st by a few weeks.  please tell me this was meant to be an
April Fool's email that got delayed...

what if i'm of Irish origin and now live in the States... do i add a bunch of
American slang to let you know where i be, yo?

-steve

Would you want me to lie to you?  And absolutely add that American slang.
Actually, the Irish are some of my favorite people, so read the exemptions for
Canadians posted below.

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Clearly it was a joke, especially originating from a country that holds its
Constitution so dear.

The Constitution becomes null and void during DX Tests.

But I suppose this also means that southern transplants must lose their
southern accent when operating a domestic test from, say, New York. Or
transplanted Bostoners can't give Ahkansah as an SS section or West Central
Flahrida...

They've got a problem.  And you're Canadian version of US accents gives you
away.  See below.

And, of course, woe be to the non-Canadian who in WW gives "59 03, eh?" Or
the Canadian who signs VE3U Zee (it is, of course, pronounced Zed.)

Okay.  I didn't publish the proposed sub rules because I wanted everyone to get
used to the main rules first.  But subset A of Rule #1 specifically excludes
Canadians from this requirement.  For the simple reason that I have never met a
Canadian who actually believes he has an accent in the first place.  It's all
aboot equity, eh?  Then there was the time when I was flying back and forth to
Vancouver every other week.  Got to know that lovely city very well.  Well, we
were having a meeting in mid-February, and the weather was typical.  Temps. in
the mid 30s, raining just hard enough to soak through your shoes and leaving
your feet wet and frozen.  Anyway, I was chatting up a young engineer who had
just joined the project, and he was a ham.  I asked "where is home".  To which
he replied "Alberta".  I mentioned that Alberta was a nice area, and asked what
brought him to Vancouver.  He replied "Better Weather".  Enough said.

73, kelly
ve4xt

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That was perhaps the funniest line in the whole post.  Nothing has ever
> been settled when it comes to contentious contesting issues.  :-)

Sorry.  Anyone who can spell "contentious" AND use it in a sentence, is over
qualified for writing these rules.

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Outstanding suggestions! Seems like they should have been posted 24 days
ago, but the imperative to join Procrastinators Now must have overridden the
priority.
73 Mike NF4L

You see how long it took me to write these replies?