[CQ-Contest] Erroneous Ten Minute Violations

[Barry]

Michael Coslo wrote:
> On Jul 28, 2009, at 4:13 PM, Dave - AB7E wrote:
>
>   
>> Yeah, I had the same thought myself.  My logger (N1MM) uses the  
>> computer clock, which is regularly updated online and is rarely off  
>> by even a few seconds, but if the log checking process looks at  
>> other logs to verify the time it could obviously cause problems.  It  
>> almost seems like this would be such an obvious opportunity for  
>> false errors that it wouldn't be the case, but who knows.  False ten  
>> minute violations were common last year and made a lot of people  
>> quite angry so I'm really surprised it didn't get fixed, whatever  
>> the cause was.
>> test
>>     
>
> Side notes:
>
> clocks are set all over the place, and even internet computer updating  
> is not 100 percent reliable. I had a time server that kept (re)setting  
> my clock incorrectly. So any determination of time off has to come  
> from within that particular log, not what other logs are saying.
>
> When checking logs, it is found that times vary all over the place.  
> I've seen Local time instead of UTC, I've seen wrong time zone instead  
> of UTC. Otherwise 10 minutes difference in settings is not all that  
> unusual. Amazing, but true.
>
> The log checkers or software need to be adjustable for the amount of  
> deviation that is acceptable, and woe onto the adjudicator who sets it  
> too strictly.
>
> While some arguments might be made that the individual Op has to have  
> every single duck in order, as long as I can make the correlation  
> between logs, that is if the Op is consistently off by 5 minutes, it  
> counts.
>
> That being said, it would be really really nice if all Ops would sync  
> their clocks with a reliable standard.
>
> -73 de Mike N3LI -
>
>   
Considering how few DQs occur, I assume those that were DQed this year 
were fairly blatant and egregious in their misdeeds.
Barry W2UP

-- 

Barry Kutner, W2UP             Lakewood, CO