[CQ-Contest] CQ WW Rules preview

[Hank Garretson]

Two proposed CQWW rule changes

5. Signals with excessive bandwidth (e.g., splatter, clicks) or harmonics
> on other bands.
>

Define excessive. Or is it like the Supreme Court and pornography? One
ham's hard keying is another ham's clicks.

6. Running stations not identifying in a timely manner (i.e.,1 minute).
>

One minute is WAY too short. Three, four or five minutes much better.
Please note the following by N6AA. It's as spot on now as it was in 1998.

>  N6AA on pileup management - 1998
>
> Periodically this reflector is subjected to well-intentioned advice about
> CQ-ing stations signing their callsigns after every QSO.
>
> Managing a pile-up by judicious callsign rationing is an advanced
> operating technique that, if executed properly, can squeeze a few extra
> contacts out of an operating period. Since small differences in operating
> skill rarely affect contest outcomes, many contests can be won without ever
> mastering such skills. In fact, most entrants are rarely in situations
> where such action even matters.
>
> However, there are advantages to not signing after every QSO.
>
> 1) If you can make another contact without signing your call, the time you
> would have used to sign the call can simply be used to make additional
> contacts.
>
> 2) By keeping some potential callers off balance until they know who you
> are, you may be able to reduce the size of an excessively large pile-up to
> a size where you can copy callsigns.
>
> 3) There are a number of highly-skilled operators with small signals. If
> these individuals sense that you will allow their skill to get them
> through, ahead of competitors with bigger signals, they will stick around,
> trying to work you. If they sense that you are a plain-vanilla operator,
> signing your call every time and then working the loudest station, they
> will go away since they know how weak they are.
>
> 4) If you are a common CQ-ing station, many S&P'ers will call you only
> once. When two stations reply, and you finish the first contact extremely
> rapidly, and give the second station the impression that you know he was
> there, he may call again, even if you completely missed his callsign.
>
> There is a downside, in that you may cause other operators to take actions
> that may lower your rate. Certain operators may feel that their superior
> stations and/or favorable locations entitle them to know your callsign
> where their identification skills and experience are not advanced enough to
> determine it, or enough about you to know whether to call, without hearing
> you actually sign it. They may QRM your weak, target stations by sending,
> "Call?" They may work you without knowing your call, which of course, is
> usually only bad if they are duplicates.
>
> There is considerable skill involved in maximizing the benefits while
> minimizing the liabilities incurred.
>
> The callsign-signing decision may change after every contact. Factors that
> may impact the individual decisions include:
>
> 1) Do you already know the callsign of another station in your pile-up?
>
> 2) How many people are tuning the band listening, and what percentage of
> them have already worked you? Have you made 10 or 5000 QSO's on the band?
>
> 3) What is your signal like in your target area?
>
> 4) Is your call EE5E or KH5K/JQ9YXJ/M?
>
> 5) Do you have an overall picture of what is going on in your pile-up?
>
> 5a) Can you say something like, "There are now 5 or 6 calling, and 3 or so
> have been there for some time. There have been no new additions to the
> pile- up during the last few contacts?"
>
> 5b) Or, can you say, "One weak guy, with a long call, has been here for a
> while. He sends fast and always zero beats the last station. Maybe I can
> sneak him through."
>
> 5c) Or, are you simply struggling to copy callsigns, and therefore unaware
> of your pile-up structure?
>
> Summary:
>
> If you feel that the callsign should be signed after every contact, this
> strongly indicates that your operating skills have developed to the stage
> where you should indeed sign your call after every contact.
>
> However, when you give unconditioned advice to others suggesting that they
> absolutely always do the same, note that you are primarily broadcasting
> your skill level rather than giving good counsel.
>
Even W6SX with a low wire antenna will sometimes run for a couple of
minutes without IDing. Used skillfully, it's a great way to get stations in
and our quickly which should make everyone happier. One quickly develops a
sense of when one should ID and when one is better off just sending. TU.

Please, one minute is WAY too short.

Contest Exuberantly,

Hank, W6SX