[CQ-Contest] Station Inspections

[Dick Green WC1M]

I won't comment on the merits of the rule, but I'd like to point out that
many participants consider contesting much, much more than a hobby. 

There may not be big prizes and millions in endorsements, but a *lot* of
money gets spent on contest stations. It's easily tens of millions of
dollars worldwide, especially when you consider land costs. Some of the top
contending stations have cost well over $100,000 to build, and some have
even cost hundreds of thousands.

You can add to the dollar cost many thousands of man-hours to design, build
and maintain the stations, as well as the time spent operating and learning
how to operate better. And some of those hours, on the tower or in the
chair, are very strenuous indeed.

Many of our fellow contesters have pursued this passion for decades, since
they were teenagers or younger, pouring enormous amounts of financial,
physical, mental, intellectual and emotional resources into the quest. These
people care very deeply about the results and even more deeply about
fairness of the game.

There may be reasons why CQ shouldn't use inspectors or DQ people for 5
years for failing to cooperate, but contesting not being important enough to
deserve the scrutiny isn't one of them.

73, Dick WC1M

 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Barry [mailto:w2up at comcast.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 9:51 AM
> To: CQ-Contest
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Station Inspections
> 
> <sarcasm>Inspections are essential.  After all, the stakes are very
> high.  Big prizes, millions in endorsements, picture on a Wheaties
> box...</sarcasm>
> Barry W2UP
> 
> K0HB wrote:
> > It's come to this.  Below is an excerpt from CQWW 2009 rules posted at
> > http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com/WWDXContestRules%20200973109.pdf
> >
> >    "A competitor contacted by the CQ
> >     WW Contest Commmittee prior to the
> >     contest must agree to a scheduled visitation
> >     by a representative of the CQ
> >     WW CC during the contest. Failure of
> >     the entrant to respond to our correspondence
> >     or to allow an observer full
> >     access to the contest QTH will result in
> >     the entrant's call being removed from
> >     award eligibility for 5 years."
> >
> > 73, de Hans, K0HB
> > Sea stories here ---> http://k0hb.spaces.live.com/
> > Search my log at ---> http://dx.qsl.net/cgi-bin/logform.cgi?k0hb
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > CQ-Contest mailing list
> > CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
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> 
> --
> 
> Barry Kutner, W2UP             Lakewood, CO
>