[CQ-Contest] AO8HQ vs DA0HQ - ARRL did the worse in two

[Ward Silver]

> Next to that it has spiraled out
> of control - just look at the spotting beacons, the pre-contest
> propaganda etc.
>
> 73, zoli ha1ag

I agree with Zoli.

The very structure of the category encouraged poor behavior - not only 
operators being "overly eager" (what a finely-nuanced phrase that is) to 
assist their national HQ station, but operators actively trying to reduce 
the scores of other HQ stations with various trickeries.  Was that promoting 
international goodwill?  Obviously not.  Is making QSO after QSO from a list 
of calls not your own somehow improving operator skill?  I don't think so on 
that account either. The HQ category had been degenerating into a 
ballot-box-stuffing competition for years.

While the HQ competition increased cross-border activity some, the 
misbehavior was guaranteed to spread into all contests and all categories. 
Opening the HQ circuit breakers was entirely appropriate and was not an easy 
decision to make in any sense of the word.

Will there be room for an HQ or HQ-like category in future IARU HF 
Championships?  I can't say, but perhaps instead of trying to defend what 
had become rather a mess, what sort of competition and rules could be 
devised that would not include such powerful incentives to misbehave?

Instead of encouraging national member stations to get on so that they will 
work the HQ station, encourage them to work everybody and then total up the 
scores like a big club competition.  Sponsor a competition to work the most 
WRTC-2010 stations.  Who can work the most ITU zones?  Etc.

I like the IARU's mid-summer, 24-hour format with unusual zones to be logged 
and interesting HQ prefixes, suffixes, and abbreviations to copy.  If we 
could get everybody trying to maximize participation for the benefit of all 
instead just for "the home team", it would be a big step forward out of the 
swamp.

73, Ward N0AX