[CQ-Contest] BOGUS QSO RATES!

[David Gilbert]

Actually, I can think of some things considerably worse during a contest 
than someone not giving their callsign every QSO.  Among them would be 
having a trashy signal more than 5 KHz wide or having somebody try to 
chase you off your run frequency by just plopping down and calling CQ.

More to the point, though, there doesn't appear to be any evidence at 
all that giving your callsign every contact in a contest is a firm 
requirement of either the FCC or the contests sponsors.  In spite of the 
literally tens of thousands of patently obvious occurrences in every 
major contest, have you ever heard of anyone being cited or DQ'd for 
it?  Have you ever even seen an official position taken on it?  The ARRL 
doesn't even address the subject in their white paper on proper HF 
contesting.   CQWW has been using digital full spectrum SDR recordings 
of contests to look for rule violations ... how many entries do you 
think they flagged for not sending their callsign every contact?

I always find it amusing when people wrap their perception or opinion on 
an ambiguous topic with the words "the correct way".

To be fair, I too find it extremely frustrating to tune across a station 
with a pileup (figuring it might be a possible new multiplier) and then 
have to wait several QSOs to find out his callsign, but I consider that 
to be a lack of courtesy on the part of the running station and if he 
persists I just refuse to work him ... then or later.  However, I also 
find it frustrating (and I suspect the pileup does as well) to hear a 
running station send something like "TEST de ZZ8/XX8ABC" after every 
contact.  It slows everyone down as badly as having to wait a QSO or two 
to find out the callsign.  It seems to me that good "ham operating 
practice" in a contest means maximizing the QSO rate for everyone 
involved, including the majority of the callers.  When I'm running a 
frequency I consider it to be my obligation to get everyone on their way 
as soon as possible, which just happens to maximize my rate as well.  
That typically requires me to send my callsign often, but not 
necessarily every QSO.

Dave  AB7E


On 11/6/2011 11:15 AM, Craig Maxey wrote:
> Timo,
>
> I respect your list and every operator that has operated a contest but unfortunately this QSO RATE LIST is "BOGUS".
>
> In order to make each and every qso valid, you must identify your call sign. That is somewhere in your transmission while qso'ing with the other station. If you do not identify yourself properly with the call sign you are using, the qso in "INVALID".
>
> There is nothing worse during a contest than to come on a frequency and have an op running them at a high rate of speed only to give his call sign after he has worked 20 guys or so.
>
> I have made it a practice to identify with my call sign each and every time. You can record me running them in a contest to verify.
>
> The problem starts with the committtee; I guess since they don't do anything about it, it is ok.
>
> I find it interesting that the committee speaks about cheating but overlooks this basic cheating practice.
>
> www.ah8dx.wordpress.com
>
> I encourage operators in future contests to operate the correct way and uphold the ham operating standards on the band in order to keep the bands civilized. No wonder we hear so much crap on the air with guys operating however they wish.
>
> 73,
>
> Craig, AH8DX&  8R1EA
>