[CQ-Contest] Packet Cheerleaders

[Bob Naumann - N5NJ]

KI9A says:  

> This is a foolish topic--I only have a low antenna, maybe we can talk about how unfair it is to me by having the guys with tall antennas compete against me. (Just a joke by the way)
> 
> Now here is a better example of unfair advantage: What about the guy who belongs to a large club, & lets the members know of his upcoming operating plans, then the club members work him--maybe on all 6 bands, but only work him & nobody else....what about this??

I have to respectfully disagree that this is a foolish topic.  Contest ethics, due to the "honor system" that is part of the contest landscape, may instead be the most important topic we could discuss.

These cyclical discussions appear annually and many of the same people offer opinions.

I think it's high time that contest sponsors document what is, and what is not ethical in spotting.

A single op soliciting help in any form, either by requesting "cheerleading" or that his club work him only,  should cause his entry to be re-classified as multi-op.

In my opinion, as stated here previously, I see non-random cheerleading as an issue because:

"In my mind, this situation violates several of rules of most contests.

1) You have enlisted others to help improve your score - in effect, you are no longer single op.
2) Now that you are multi-op or assisted, you are adding operators outside the geographical limits for your operation.
3) Again, considering that you now are technically multi-op, you now have violated the self-spotting rule. 

You really violate all 3 as a single op, and would only violate the last two as a
multi-op.

Random acts of kindness .i.e; spotting someone else on your own, without
being asked to do so, whether you know them or not, is not a problem.

If someone asks you to spot them, remind them to list you as an operator in
their multi-op."

In the latter example of planning to only work a specific station, the DX station would be working his multi-ops' other operators.  I'm pretty certain that this is not allowed except in some VHF contests.

73,
N5NJ