[CQ-Contest] Open logs - one more voice

[Bob Daniels]

As a non-contester (I don’t often turn in logs, but I participate) I don't know if I should weigh in on this or not - but it seems to me some of the hard-core contesters are missing a very important point.  The point is that a lot of the little popgun stations (that includes me) that get involved with the CQWW contests only participate in order to improve their DXCC Challenge numbers.  

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I realize before the contest even begins that I am not going to even come close to winning anything in the CQWW contests, but I participate anyway because its a good way to get band fills here and there - and as long as I'm already sitting at the radio I might as well make contacts with others in the contest.  That way there is something in it for both the real contesters and for someone like me.

 

Now if the ARRL was to come out and say that CQWW contacts are no long good for DXCC because the logs are published.  There would no longer be anything in it for me.  So I would probably wander over to the WARC bands or go find something else to do until the bands clear after the contest.  Why waste my time.  I wonder how many other little popgun stations would do the same.

 

If your reaction to my point is “So what, I never had a contact with that guy anyway” – think about all the little popgun stations that you did have a QSO with – now what would your score look like if a large percentage of them disappear from your logs in future CQWW contests.

 

Bob K8KWT