[CQ-Contest] Scandinavian (SAC) Contest Committee acceptsAssisted-cheating

Tue Mar 8 08:29:53 PST 2011

Hello Igor,

Perfectly agree with you on your standpoint regarding cluster/skimmer.

I have worked SAC seriously from "both sides", and the boring night hours
with rates of 3-5 QSOs is really a challenge to cope with.

No wonder that people manage to work 814 QSOs and still get 6 hours of sleep
and still win the contest :)

We have tried to come up with different solutions that would make SAC a more
interesting contest for the non-Scandinavian audience. The RDXC/Ukraininan
DX Contest concept of everywone working everyone has been brought up in
polls and other forums. So far, the Scandinavians resist... Another idea has
been to also include the actually quite activ Baltic contest region, to make
the geographical region and the amount of operators a bit larger...  This
has also met resistance from the Scandinavian group. Quite strong resistance
actually.

The problem is that Scandinavians located on the right side of the pileup,
sometimes have har d to realize the struggle that serious contesters from
Non-Scandinavia face in SAC.

We have managed to increase Scandinavian participation a lot as a total, but
in the CW leg, things have to be done for sure...  To have a fun contest
with the existing rules (Scandinavians working only Scandinavians), the
total Scandinavian amount of operators have to increase from 300 to 400 (or
even better 500). This will make a HUGE difference for the Non-Scandinavian
operator as well.

We will see what happens, but the key to success for SAC oragnizers is to
pay tribute and attention to all these heroes that work SAC from the other
side... They are the difference between success or failure - no matter how
little attention is paid to that fact from organizers.

People should not misinterpret my somewhat critical opinion. My aim is to
make SAC an even better contest - and more interesting for everyone
participating - not only for Scandinavians who have the endless piles and
sometimes forget the hardship of us international participants...

73 de R3/SM6LRR  (Scandinavian but also a voice from the rest of the world
in SAC)

2011/3/8 Igor Sokolov <ua9cdc at gmail.com>

> Matts, I am not going to defend the offenders of the existing rules but SAC
> from here is such a dull contest that it would only benefit from change of
> rules allowing skimmers and cluster. Alternatively why not follow the pass
> of RDXC and Ukrainian contest and several others? Allow everybody to contact
> everybody and give more points and/or multiplier for Scandinavian stations.
> That will sure bring in more participation and make this contest much more
> fun.
> Just my HO.
>
> 73, Igor UA9CDC
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mats Strandberg" <sm6lrr at gmail.com>
> To: <cq-contest at contesting.com>
> Cc: <ns3t at arrl.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2011 4:37 PM
> Subject: [CQ-Contest] Scandinavian (SAC) Contest Committee
> acceptsAssisted-cheating
>
>
>
> The Scandinavian Activity Contest is a popular contest that has promoted
> activity between Scandinavian stations and rest of the world for more than
> 50 years. The organization of SAC rotates between the four biggest NRAU
> (Nordic Amateur Radio Union) members Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden.
> SAC
> 2010 was organized by the Danish society EDR. The final results were
> recently published on the official SAC-site www.sactest.net
>
>
> <http://www.sactest.net/>
>
>
> Everything should be perfect then – but a big "mistake" has occured: The
> SAC
> CC has for some strange reason accepted that use of skimmers and clusters
> is
> acceptable, despite that rules strongly prohibits use of such assistance
> for
> Single Operator entries. The winner of SAC CW for Non-Scandinavians (R3CM)
> has himself on 3830 reported that he used Assistance:
> http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/3830/2010-09/msg01326.html<
> http://lists.contesting.com/archives/html/3830/2010-09/msg01326.html>
>
>
>
> <http://lists.contesting.com/archives/html/3830/2010-09/msg01326.html>
>
> Despite of using only 18 of the 24 available hours, R3CM broke the previous
> All Time High record of SAC CW with an amazing 64088 points (73% increase),
> finishing with 151.404 points, 814 QSOs and 186 multipliers.  The second
> station (RT3T) ”only” managed to score 117.936 points, 648 QSOs and 182
> multiplies. Also this result is an amazing 35% increase from the previous
> All Time High of year 2002.
>
>
> Many of the top-scoring stations in the three power categories (HP, LP and
> QRP) show amazing efficiency compared to previous years. The activity in
> SAC
> from Scandinavian stations has increased quite a bit, but mainly on SSB,
> leaving the theoretic workable amount of CW QSOs pretty much unchanged
> during the past decade.
>
>
> The use of CW Skimmer is a revolutionary tool in a contest like SAC, where
> non-Scandinavians are strongly focused on Search & Pounce operation.
>
> SAC prohibits the use of skimmers and clusters, but the committee
> apparently
> lacks the ability to evaluate who is playing according to the rules – and
> who is not.
>
>
> Attentive readers of the 2010 results might find notice me as number five
> in
> Europe. If anyone has the thought I might talk in my own interest, trying
> to
> remove stations above my own position, I can clearly state it is not in my
> own interest. I would be glad to convert my 5th place entry into a
> check-log
> just if the SAC CC would move clear violators of the Non-Assisted rule to
> Multi Single category.
>
>
> The funny thing is that R3CM would win this Multi Single category as well,
> so no harmed feelings for him I guess…
>
>
> The SAC CC has been informed about this problem a long time ago, but has
> disregarded this important remark for some unclear reason...
>
>
> The SAC Contest Committee has been under hard pressure for non-efficiency
> regarding awards and diplomas (partial backlog since 1996), as well as for
> late results. The backlog of diplomas and awards has by individual work of
> a
> few SAC enthusiasts, pushing the different NRAU societies, been highly
> improved. The speed of results have become a bit better. The activity of
> SAC
> has increased with 40 percent the past 3 years.
>
> However, the obsolete rotating scheme of organizing has again proved to me
> a
> reason for non-accurate and unfair results! When will the organizers
> realize
> that something has to be done with the unskilled management of SAC?
>
>
> Serious Non-Scandinavian participants will for sure take all this into
> consideration when mobilizing efforts and energy for a full 24 hour effort
> in 2011… I will for sure not participate as a result of this unprofessional
> management of SAC 2010!
>
>
> 73 de R3/SM6LRR, Mats
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