[CQ-Contest] Battle of the Cheaters

[Pete Smith]

The heck of it is, all of these steps are readily do-able (except the 
on-site referees).

There is a device called the Time Machine 
(www.expandedspectrumsystems.com), which can record an 80 KHz swath of any 
HF band, and costs only about $175.  Station a dozen of those around the 
world, recording on VHS tape, with good receivers and omni antennas, and 
you can go back to any point in the contest to check what was going on at 
any frequency.

A recording, whether on tape or on computer disk, isn't an unreasonable 
requirement from anyone with a claimed top-ten score in any major category.

Contest sponsors should publicly announce that they will apply and enforce 
the sort of analysis that K1TTT has been doing publicly for years.  If 
falsified spots turn up, clearly to the benefit of a given station, that 
station owner should be asked to explain, and if the explanation doesn't 
hold water, he should be DQ'ed.

The key to confronting the cheaters is to do it publicly and transparently, 
with stiff penalties.

73, Pete N4ZR

At 12:39 AM 12/9/2007, Jim Neiger wrote:...
>We can all continue to shine it on, or do something about it.  What can be
>done?
>
>1.  Permanent or 5 years no participation once DQed
>
>2.  Set-up of wideband recording receivers around the world.
>
>3.  Submittal of tape recordings by those wishing to compete for world
>honors.
>
>4. On-site inspectors, very much like WRTC.
>
>5. Open up log checking and Committee decisions beyond the hands of one or
>two.
>
>6. Turn off packet (THIS will never happen; packet is too popular and many
>probably wouldn't know how to operate without)
>
>
>Just some senile ramblings from someone who's been there and got a
>T-Shirt................