[CQ-Contest] Holding a Freq Before a Contest

[Richard DiDonna]

I agree with Ed. I mean, Jesus, are we going to start regulating the 
bahavior of contests before the contest even begins?  That is very very 
silly.

Am I going to be reclassified as a M/S entrant because W9GE helped me solder 
a loose connector 10 minutes before the contest?

Am I going to be a SO LP instead of a SO QRP entry because 2 minutes before 
the contest I tuned up my right with 100 watts to the antenna?

As far as I am concerned, what you do before the clock ticks over is your 
business unless explicitly and expressly directed by the rules of the 
contest (i.e., WRTC listening rule and Field Day preparation rule).

As to packet, I'm not sure if I agree with Ed.  Spotting assistance is not 
allowed, nor are non- amateur means of solliciting QSOs.  But, with respect 
to packet, who may be there 5 minutes prior to the contest may not be there 
5 minutes into the contest.  And as to arranging schedules, what is so 
different between this and say NCCC or PVRC having a known meeting time on a 
particular band for the club members to trade QSOs amongst each other?

This is all very petty garbage that is being fought amongst mostly mid level 
operators.  Those who win and win consistently do so because they're good 
operators, know the bands well, have good ears, and can hang in there 46 to 
48 out of the 48 hours of a contest.

73 Rich NN3W



>From: sawyered at earthlink.net
>Reply-To: sawyered at earthlink.net
>To: cq-contest at contesting.com
>Subject: [CQ-Contest] Holding a Freq Before a Contest
>Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2006 12:48:05 -0500 (GMT-05:00)
>
>Some have called the practice of getting on for a period preceding a 
>contest on a certain desirable frequency cheating.  Do you consider this 
>cheating?  Are any of the Qs logged before the contest put in your log? I 
>doubt it, since that would be cheating for sure and likely pointless since, 
>chances are the other station isn't doing that and you will be NIL.  Are 
>you pre-arranging scheds prior to the contest?  Well, possibly, but all I 
>ever hear of this activity is "please work me in the contest".  Hardly a 
>pre-arranged sched...
>
>Has there ever been a claim in any of the well thought out rules by the 
>major sponsors that "holding a frequency" before the contest is 
>unsportsmanlike or against the rules?  I have not seen any such claim made 
>(unlike things like pre-arranged scheds which are clearly stated as against 
>the rules).
>
>I ask this to solicit opinions.
>
>I'll start with mine.  A legal activity which is not specifically called 
>out in the rules should be okay to do.  Are people claiming that you can't 
>do a radio check before a contest?  If so, where can they do such radio 
>check?  Having done one and seeing that the frequency is clear, what is 
>ethically wrong with staying there and occupying it until the contest 
>starts.  If you choose to start the contest S & Ping, what is wrong with 
>checking the bands prior and seeing who is on and where.  For that matter, 
>if you are going to claim assisted, what is wrong with keeping an eye on 
>the Packet prior to the start.
>
>To me, doing whatever you would do "in the contest" but doing it "just 
>before" the contest should never be wrong.  Doing something before that you 
>would be prohibited from doing or that would change your class if done 
>during the contest, should be prohibited as unsportsmanlike (ie warming up 
>with an amp and then turning it off, or checking packet before and then 
>going unassisted after start, etc.).
>
>Lets not blend clearly wrong behavior like using packet to populate a band 
>map before the contest but then going unassisted with behavior that there 
>should be nothing wrong with.
>
>73
>
>Ed  N1UR  (is it too early to warm up 3505 for ARRL DX??  Hi, Hi)
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