[CQ-Contest] Cheating

[Tree]

Hello fellow contesters.

Let me preface this message by first saying that I believe 99.9 percent of
contesters play by the rules.  This message talks about the 0.01 percent
who don't.  Also - let me say that this message is a personal message from
me - and does not in anyway represent an offical communication from any of
the organizations I do log checking for (ARRL and CQ and the Boring ARC).

During the recent IARU Radiosport contest - I was operating from 9V1YC in a
multi-single.  This is the first time I have operated this contest in this
category - and to be frank - I didn't really know the rules.  Having read
them - I find that transmitting with two signals at the same time is not
allowed.  Here is what the rule says:

  4.2. Multi Operator, Single Transmitter, Mixed Mode only
              4.2.1. Must remain on a band and mode for at least 10 minutes
before changing bands or modes.
              4.2.2. Only one transmitted signal is allowed at any given
time.

I think this is pretty clear.  This really seems to limit the operation to
that of a single radio - with people taking turns using it.

However, I am sure some stations will push the envelope here and have a
second station which is operating on the same band/mode as the "run"
radio.  In order to prevent only one transmitted signal at a time -
interlocks would have to be used.  This would be fine and would be a
competitive advantage wihtout breaking the rules.  They would only have one
signal transmitted at any given time.

Well - during the IARU contest - our station observed one very well known
multi-single station who was not using an interlock and had two independant
stations running people on each end of the band.  We listened in stereo and
there was no interlock present.  Two signals were present very often at the
same time.

In truth - it appears that the top multi-single stations in the IARU pretty
much routinely ignore the one signal requirement.  They seem to think
that "if you can get away with it - then it is okay".

I feel this attitude really stinks.  It is just like running high power and
claiming lower power in a contest.  It is CHEATING and it is not the way
the 99.9 percent of us want the game to be played.

I really hope the people who are responsible for these operations will
offer to submit their log as a check log and not pollute their scores with
those played by the wrong rules.  Their reputations will be forever
tarnished if they continue to associate themselves with operations that
break the rules.

Also - I invite the 99.9 percent of use who play by the rules to keep an
ear out for this type of blantant cheating - and let the contest sponsors
know when they observe it.  A stereo tape recording would be a simple way
to document the behavior.  Hopefully, we can stamp this out and get it out
of the results.

Thanks for letting me vent.

73 Tree N6TR