[CQ-Contest] What is the goal of the survey?

[Abrams, Saul]

I generally agree with the sentiments of Bob, W5OV, but think he missed the boat when he said

 “The reason CHECKLOGs should be accepted late is because the deadline is not
only to "speed up the log checking process" - it's also and perhaps more
importantly, to limit the amount of time for post-contest log
manipulations/shenanigans.”  The real problem with all the discussed rules and changes is that it appears that no one bothered to define the goals that they were trying to achieve with the rules/changes.  As quoted above, the five day rule is a joke.  Yes, it gets logs in early to get the process rolling, but one can just as easily massage a log in 24 hours or five days as he can in 30 days, he just does it sooner. The rule does not advance the goal.  If your goal is to get unmassaged logs, then they should be sent in immediately after the contest—30 minutes  at most.  If an operator is in a location where he can’t get it in in that time period, then he should explain the reason for more time and the log checkers should give that log special attention.

As for assisted versus non assisted, what is your goal for even asking the merger question?  If you haven’t got a goal then why ask.  If you have a goal then tell us so we can examine the proposition in light of the goal.  Is it to stop cheating?  Is it to make log checking easier?  Are we changing the rules of the game to make the umpires' jobs easier?  Why do you ask the questions?

There are a lot of reasons people choose different categories.  I don’t have the equipment to operate SO2R, and SO2R is essential to be competitive in SOAB assisted or not. Sometimes I get in a contest just to maximize points for the local club, and that usually means I operate assisted.  When I want to really compete, I know I can’t do it all band without SO2R, so I go single band where SO2R has a much less advantage. Why haven’t the contest sponsors asked the question if SO2R should be a separate category?  Perhaps because they just don’t want to.  Yeah, it’s been beaten to death on the reflectors, but a survey has never been taken.  That question would seem to be of more interest than the assisted versus unassisted merger question?
What about guest operators?  If a guest operator can keep operating while the “host” goes outside to fix a broken antenna or rotator, why is that single operator?  Why not a survey question?
It seems that there are a lot of more interesting questions than merging assisted and unassisted.   73  Saul  K2XA





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