[CQ-Contest] Uniques

[Ron Notarius W3WN]

I have to agree in principle with AA6DX.

There have been more than a few contests over the years where I simply didn't have time to commit more than a few hours, if that much, and made only a small amount of QSO's.  

One that comes to mind was the Ca QSO Party a few years back... we'd set up my rig at the WACOM Hamfest in hopes of catching the NP2SH guys that morning (we didn't), I worked about a half dozen stations before having to go help at a VE session, and my partner spent the next 90 minutes listening but made no QSO's.  Go figure.  And I remember also an ARRL DX SSB contest, 1984 I think, where I worked an FG station who wasn't in the contest -- who then decided to go QRT as he wasn't interested in sharing the bands with the 'test, and yes, I still got a QSL card from him.  So you can see that there are many valid reasons behind seeing a call in a minimal number of logs -- even as few as one.

Flag uniques as suspicious?  Sure, especially if there are an excess of them.  Check to see if they're valid (ie issued) calls?  Definitely, some are probably busted, and some are jokers making up calls.  Try to verify that the unique actually made the QSO?  Certainly worth the effort.  Make a note of the number of unique calls in the results?  Positively, we all can analyze the feedback and learn from it.  

But discard uniques?  Sorry.  It shouldn't be done.  IMHO.

73, ron w3wn

------------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2006 00:19:03 -0700
From: "AA6DX - Mark" <aa6dx at arrl.net>
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Uniques
To: "Kelly Taylor" <ve4xt at mts.net>, "Michael Tope" <W4EF at dellroy.com>,
	"Albert Crespo" <f5vhj at wanadoo.fr>, <cq-contest at contesting.com>

Heya Guys and Gals...
Having gotten old(er)-- read, arthritis, with minimal antennnas, and sometimes unable to commit time for a contest, I make a few contacts, sometimes to say "hello" to old friends, or just work a few strong signals on the band.  These are VALID contacts ..  for the contester.. why, oh why, should my REAL QSO be ousted from that contester\s effort.........???// 
NAAAAHHHHHHHHHH..
Wrongo.
Mark Nelson  -  AA6DX

mailto: AA6DX at ARRL.NET

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kelly Taylor" <ve4xt at mts.net>
To: "Michael Tope" <W4EF at dellroy.com>; "Albert Crespo" <f5vhj at wanadoo.fr>; 
<cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 15, 2006 11:05 AM
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Uniques


Has something changed?

AFAIK, uniques do NOT get removed. They are merely pointed out as they
SUGGEST a busted or NIL QSO.

Bad and NIL QSOs do get removed, but I believe uniques are left in, as there
is no hard proof the call was wrong.

73, kelly
ve4xt
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Tope" <W4EF at dellroy.com>
To: "Albert Crespo" <f5vhj at wanadoo.fr>; <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 15, 2006 8:43 AM
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Uniques


>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Albert Crespo" <f5vhj at wanadoo.fr>
>
> > I worked 23 stations in the IARU contest as M0FCR, all on CW. I worked
> > only
> > PT5M, none of the other participants.
> > Nice to know that I am a unique that gets trashed and PT5M wasted  their
> > time working me.
>
> They didn't, Al. You can find the PT5M UBN report here:
>
> http