[CQ-Contest] ARRL Cheating in ARRL using the cluster

[Steve London]

I don't know what software you were using, but speaking for N1MM Logger, 
there are a number of ways to deal with this problem. In the bandmap or 
available window, you can right-click and select "Blacklist Callsign". 
Not only will this remove the callsign from your computer, but also 
every computer in the network. You can also set up and import a 
blacklisted calls file before the contest containing the most common 
busts, like EK3LR.

73,
Steve, N2IC

On 02/18/2013 02:04 PM, Jim Jordan wrote:
> Wow! I wish NY4A could have found wherever it was you were getting your
> spots. We filtered out dozens of busted calls and skimmer perversions
> like "EK3LR", dropped leading letters, "O" for "Q" and the phenomenon
> reported where the spot was for, or on top of the mult, picking up the
> calling station as the runner, etc. And like "Whack-A-Mole" we'd delete
> them from the band map and a little while later the same busts were back
> again. All pretty annoying as M/2 trying to work them quickly and get
> back to the run frequency without losing it.
>
> Having said that, seeing the "instant spots" from all over coming up
> instead of having to wait for someone to manually post the spot made a
> big positive difference. I noticed it when we went to a new band or had
> to change frequency.
>
> 73,
>
> Jim, K4QPL @NY4A
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Pete Smith N4ZR" <n4zr at contesting.com>
> To: "CQ Contest" <cq-contest at contesting.com>
> Sent: Monday, February 18, 2013 3:04 PM
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] ARRL Cheating in ARRL using the cluster
>
>
>> Are we talking about the same contest, Bob? No reason that the
>> Russians would be working 9H1s.
>>
>> Actually, I'm more interested in the busted calls you reported. It's
>> not that busts don't happen, because they do, but because
>> readily-available filtering can catch almost all of them. I was only
>> on for 10 hours and 1000 contacts, but they were almost all S&P. I
>> worked out 3 or 4 bands at a time - 0 spots waiting to be worked - and
>> in that time I saw exactly 1 bust that made it through to me.
>>
>> 73, Pete N4ZR
>> Check out the Reverse Beacon Network at
>> http://reversebeacon.net,
>> blog at reversebeacon.blogspot.com.
>> For spots, please go to your favorite
>> ARC V6 or VE7CC DX cluster node.
>>
>> On 2/18/2013 12:27 PM, w5ov at w5ov.com wrote:
>>> A lot of this seems to be the Skimmer/RBN network reporting the station
>>> the runners are working.
>>>
>>> Probably not anyone cheating in the manner you describe.
>>>
>>> I found this a LOT. (Among all the other busted calls).
>>>
>>> W5OV
>>> (80m @ K3LR)
>>>
>>>
>>>> It seems like a couple of Russian station are cheating using the
>>>> cluster.
>>>>
>>>> I operated AB unlimited over the weekend and was checking spots the
>>>> whole
>>>> weekend.
>>>>
>>>> As the contest progressed over the weekend semi rare mults were worth
>>>> QSYing to. Over a dozen times as soon as the call appeared on my
>>>> band map
>>>> I
>>>> QSYed to it only to UT0U merrily CQing away. (There I named a call!)
>>>> Another U station did the same thing but I forgot to get his call. The
>>>> calls
>>>> spotted were semi-rare mults like (9H1 etc), but rare enough to
>>>> attract a
>>>> crowd. Once would be a coincidence, but it happened many times. Every
>>>> time
>>>> there was no hint of the station spotted. Pure out and out cheating!
>>>>
>>>> Did anyone else see that behavior? The only way to stop this crap is to
>>>> put pressure on them.
>>>>
>>>> Bill K4XS
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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