[CQ-Contest] Chatgate

Tue Feb 5 18:14:04 EST 2008

I'll start by saying "I don't have the answer"... but some things can be 
carried (or perceived) to the extreme... your XYL bringing food & drink to 
you (sorry, you're now reclassified assisted)... I ran 150 Watts in Low 
Power class (sorry, your measurement techniques are +/- 5% so you're now 
reclassified into HP class)... my buddy stopped by to drop off the handheld 
I loaned him last week (sorry, you're now reclassified multi-op)... etc.

So... what if the spotting and self spotting rules were dropped 
altogether???... Spot your brains out if you want... Flood the packet system 
with your run frequencie(s)... Call all your friends on the phone... Send 
them TWXes... Get on the local repeater... Or setup a Jerry Lewis style 
marathon to solicit contacts for your station...

What impact would this have in the contest and in the final standings? This 
is not a rhetorical question! Do you think this would change the outcome of 
the contest? Or would you simply be wasting time with all these distractions 
instead of "contesting", as has been suggested about the Scoreboard?

I am also interested in what the intent of the no self-spotting rule is in 
the first place? Is it to assure all communications is via amateur radio? Or 
that some unfair advantage is circumvented? Or what?

73 de Bob - KØRC in MN

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tree" <tree at kkn.net>
To: <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 1:55 PM
Subject: [CQ-Contest] Chatgate

>
> Welcome to "chatgate".
>
> During the course of the discussion surrounding the events that occurred
> on the ON4AST chat page during the CQ 160 - I have had time to better
> reflect on my own actions.  I have come to the conclusion that while what
> I did might not rise to same level as some of the other abuse - some of my
> actions could be perceived as crossing over a line that I would rather not
> be seen doing.
>
> To be specific - I asked JH4IFF to give me a signal report on my CQ 
> frequency:
>
> 2008-01-27 09:52:36Z   N6TR Tree   Is my signal making it to Japan? 1812.6 
> / K7RAT
>
> I suspected that my signal was very weak since I wasn't working hardly 
> anyone
> at that time - and I knew Mitsu has a pretty small signal on 160 and he
> wasn't likely to be appearing in my log.  However, looking back, I now 
> wish
> I had not done this.
>
> Here is my log segment around that time:
>
> 160CW  27-Jan-08 09:50 1045  YV1DIG         599  599 YV             YV 
> 10
> 160CW  27-Jan-08 10:03 1046  WA4BUE         599  599 Va 
> 2
> 160CW  27-Jan-08 10:05 1047  K6JEY          599  599 Ca 
> 2
> 160CW  27-Jan-08 10:18 1048  K9WJU          599  599 In 
> 2
> 160CW  27-Jan-08 10:22 1049  W1DEO          599  599 Me 
> 2
> 160CW  27-Jan-08 10:27 1050  W7WA           599  599 Wa 
> 2
> 160CW  27-Jan-08 10:30 1051  JA9CSE         599  599 JA 
> 10
> 160CW  27-Jan-08 10:35 1052  W7SX           599  599 Or 
> 2
> 160CW  27-Jan-08 10:39 1053  WB3HLH         599  599 Md 
> 2
> 160CW  27-Jan-08 10:43 1054  WA4GLH         599  599 Tn 
> 2
> 160CW  27-Jan-08 10:44 1055  W2HTI          599  599 Nc 
> 2
> 160CW  27-Jan-08 10:44 1056  K4AMC          599  599 Tn 
> 2
> 160CW  27-Jan-08 10:45 1057  K1BG           599  599 Ma 
> 2
> 160CW  27-Jan-08 10:46 1058  WA3AFS         599  599 Ny 
> 2
> 160CW  27-Jan-08 10:49 1059  W8GP           599  599 Mi 
> 2
> 160CW  27-Jan-08 10:58 1060  N3RN           599  599 Pa 
> 2
> 160CW  27-Jan-08 10:58 1061  N3GJ           599  599 Pa 
> 2
>
> As can be seen - there was no resulting packet rush.
>
> However, as was pointed out to me - this could be perceived as a self spot
> and therefore, I have decided to reclassify the K7RAT multi-single log as 
> a
> check log.  I do not believe self spotting is an appropriate thing for
> competitors to be engaged in during a contest - regardless of what the
> specific rules for that contest say - or what category I might be in.
>
> Another interesting point.  The YV1DIG QSO was made after YV1DIG announced
> his frequency on the chat room.  I used that information to leave my CQ
> frequency long enough to work him.  I did not notify him that I would be
> calling.  However, this raises an interesting point that I hadn't 
> considered
> before...  is it wrong to take advantage of a self spot?  Obviously, you
> can't always know it is a self spot is someone is hidding their true 
> identity.
>
> With all of this attention currently focused on this situation, I hope
> everyone will take this opportunity to think about how they feel about
> the situation and how they want to operate contests in the furture.  For
> me, I will refrain from doing anything that could appear to be self 
> spotting
> regardless of my intent in the future.
>
> 73 Tree N6TR
> tree at kkn.net
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