[CQ-Contest] NAQP Rules

[Steve London]

On 01/12/2014 05:35 PM, Aldewey at aol.com wrote:
> NAQP CW continues to be my overall favorite contest.  I like it  BECAUSE
> the amplifiers are off and the spotting network and skimmer is not  in play
> (i.e. except for multi-2 and , perhaps, cheaters).

Let's be a little more careful about the word "cheaters" and the NAQP. A 
number of times, I had 3-4 stations calling simultaneously, all exactly 
zero-beat to each other. That is a "signature" of clicking on a spot. 
None of these callers were what I would characterize as top-tier, or 
even top-50 NAQP competitors. They were simply folks getting on the air 
in a fun contest for a few hours. They probably think that every contest 
has an assisted category.

Here are my arguments for adding an assisted category to the NAQP 
(resent from my NAQP 3830 posting):

1) Every major contest now has an assisted category.
2) With the recent change by the ARRL, every ARRL contest now has an 
assisted
category beginning this year.
3) To nearly everyone but the insiders, the NAQP is an ARRL contest. It is
actually an NCJ contest, but the NCJ is published by the ARRL.
4) I had many times when 3-4 stations called me, exactly zero-beat to each
other. Had to be assisted guys clicking on spots. So it's happening 
anyway. No,
not by top-tier guys.
5) Reclassifying assisted guys to M/2 is not good for the health of the
contest.
6) It will hurt no one to add an assisted category.

73,
Steve, N2IC