[CQ-Contest] zero pointers

[B. Scott Andersen]

Rick,

I read with interest your screed on zero points. I worked the contest
QRP and worked you as an "easy 05" to ensure I got the multiplier. When
doing  such things (causing a zero-pointer), I wait until there is a
break in the action and, since you weren't working anybody else anyway,
helping me get my  multiplier didn't seem like much of a burden. Perhaps
I'm mistaken.

While I agree some new contesters might not understand the subtlety of
the rules and might call you believing it is a Good Thing(tm), not  
all fit
into that  category. Perhaps some, like me, were QRP, and wished to get
that easy  multiplier in the bag early before band conditions  changed,
antennas were damaged in the exceptionally high winds, or power was
lost, as did happen in many New England stations this year. Or, people
short on time wanted to make sure they got every multiplier they could
in those moments they had available, even if no points were attached.

If you begin with the premise, "you can talk to anybody in the world,
why call your own country?!" then your attitude is more justified.
Unfortunately, not all of us have stacked mono-banders, run high power,
or have phased arrays for the low bands. Those of us running low power
or QRP with no aluminum in the air don't have run-rates of 180 an hour.
We  scratch for every multiplier, every country, and on those really
distant zones, every QSO. And, while your score last year of 7,606,080
is extremely impressive to me, I should remind you that it is the horde
of small stations calling you hour-after-hour that feed your QSO points
machine. Few will have the experience you have, and, yes, some will not
be as familiar with the rules and strategies as you might like. But not
all are bozos just because their efforts do not benefit your bottom  
line.

It seems to me the playing field here is roughly level. All big gun  
stations
including K3LR, KC1XX, W3LPL, and K1TTT will all have such gnats
buzzing about during a contest, wasting operator time and generating
no points. Even if they were completely removed from the bands, all
operations would see efficiency increases and, I believe, the standings
would be just as they are today.

This is my 2-cents. Refunds upon request. I wish you well.
73!

-- Scott (NE1RD)


On Mon, 30 Oct 2006 11:20:36, Rick Dougherty" <nq4i at contesting.com>  
wrote:
>
> Hi all...New Thread ...at least for the time being....reviewing my  
> log this morning,
> I find we made nearly 1600 NA qso's...approx 75% were zero pointers  
> from the
> US...my dilemma should I teach these bozo's a lesson and NIL  
> ( that's making
> a verb out of a noun, I realize) them all so they do not get  
> credit????
>
> How does one get the word across that when they hunt us down and  
> work us
> on all bands they are not helping us in this contest???
>
> With nearly 1200 zero point qso's and my average hourly rate of  
> just under 90
> per hour...that's a lot of wasted hours!!! Its time for the contest  
> committee from
> CQ to step to the plate and "do the right thing" its time for one  
> point per qso in
> one's own country!!!
>
> 73 de NQ4I