[CQ-Contest] Using ON4KST-chat

[Kenneth E. Harker]

On Wed, Jan 30, 2008 at 06:13:49PM -0000, Uwe Granzow wrote:
> Hi out there,
> 
> I'm just a bit shocked about the cheating discussion especially by using
> ON4KST-chat. I can hardly understand the discussion around the 160m-chat,
> but to discuss it also for the microwave-test is too heavy. On SHF in Europe
> this is the normal way to arrange QSOs, especially when your location is
> remote. About 60% of our contest QSOs on 23cmtrs and higher are arranged via
> PR or ON4KST-chat, but without cheating with reports and so on. Most of the
> SHF-contesters use the chat, so where's the problem?

Almost all North American VHF+ contests have rules that prohibit the 
use of non-amateur radio means (internet, telephone, etc.) of scheduling 
contacts during a contest, just as they are generally prohibited for HF
contests.  So, what you describe would be considered cheating in e.g. 
the ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes.  The only notable exception right now is 
the ARRL EME Contest, which has a separate category for those who use the 
internet to make their QSOs.

> On SW (assisted) where's the problem using PR and/or the chat in contests?

Using passive assistance from a DX cluster and self-spotting/chat/skeds are 
not exactly the same thing.  The latter is cheating.  You should use the radio 
to make your radio contacts.  It's a radio contest, not an internet contest.

-- 
Kenneth E. Harker WM5R
kenharker at kenharker.com
http://www.kenharker.com/