[CQ-Contest] ETHICS

[Tom Haavisto]

Wasn't me, but I have had something similar happen.

A few weeks ago, I was around 14.125 - well below the U.S. phone
allocation, and I was there on purpose - trying to run Europe.  W_XXX
calls.  I tell him he is out of the band.  I call CQ - he calls again.
 Again tell him he is out of the band.  After the third time, I gave
him a report and he went away.  I did not log the QSO.

A few weeks after the contest, I get a direct QSL from him.  On it, he
indicated the frequency (14.125).  I returned his QSL with a "Sorry -
Not in Log" comment.

My question is this:  I know this person is out of the band (for him).
 Should I log this QSO?  I assume it will re removed as part of the
scoring process - do I get a penalty if I leave it in?  What about
someone from Europe (for example) who may be unaware of this issue?  I
have heard Europeans at 14.148 (just below the U.S. phone band) work
W's, and carry on without comment.  I am not pointing fingers, and I
did not write down the calls of the persons who did this.

Its not so cut and dry as it may seem.  My assumption is that
participants from each country should know their band allocations, and
stay within them.  What happens if a U.S. general class holder wanders
down into the extra class part of the band?  How am I to know what
class of licence he holds?  In these examples, we are using U.S.
stations, but on a broader scale, how do I know what allocations
various countries have for their respective licence classes, and how
do I know they are within their respective allocation?  160 meters
being a good one, where various countries have access to only certain
parts of the band.  Trying to figure out who can operate where is a
problem.

If anyone has some easy answers, I am very interested!


Tom - VE3CX



>  Let me share an example from the last WPX test, although minor,
> shows a disturbing mindset.  A very well known VE contester was
> running on 20m well outside the US band.  A US station called him
> outside his band and the VE station gave him an exchange and
> continued.  I would have told the W station that he
> was out of the band and that I can not work you here.