[CQ-Contest] Sending Call getting worse?

[Edward Sawyer]

As usual, the frustration of stations not sending calls sets in during
contests.  Is it worse, personally, I don't think so.  Its been bad for at
least 5 years if not more.  A few notables were VP2MMM, 9M4SM, 3DA0ET.  A
couple of Chinese went literally 10 minutes as well but I don't recall which
ones from the log and don't want to be wrong.  To me its quite simple to nip
this problem in the butt and its time we do it since reactions of "lets just
make everyone assisted so it doesn't matter" are too easy.  And that doesn't
hold water since we are all verifying what we hear on the air instead of
trusting skimmer and packet right?  So seriously, should it really matter
what category your running?  What matters is the offending station is not
operating properly.  Fix it directly, not indirectly.

 

2 fixes with immediate results in my opinion: 

 

Make it a DQ offense to be doing it constantly during a contest.  Its all
recorded and we all hear them.  Just DQ em and it stops.  Say, not IDing at
least once a minute on a routine basis is grounds for a DQ.  Presto, done.
Then DQ a couple the next year and its game over for that mess.

 

Just require a call be sent in every "exchange" and call the "exchange" the
5NN Zone, or the entry or exit of the exchange.  So if someone CQ'd with a
call, no need to repeat, if its at the end as a "QRZ" type end both okay,
but no CQ and no end and its not okay.  And require that BOTH stations are
accountable for the exchange to be valid.  This will slow down the offender
to a call as the stations being worked will stop and ask for the call before
sending the exchange often and the offender will quickly learn that its
faster to just send the call.

 

Can we do one or the other?  And stop using skimmer/packet as the potential
solution?  Exactly how does that solve the problem so nicely on SSB anyway?
Just solve it at its source and lets be done with it.

 

By the way, stations sounded very "clean" this year.  Imagine that?  Lets
continue this momentum on signing your call and enforcing it.

 

73  Ed  N1UR