[CQ-Contest] Uniques, Busted, Bads in CQWW

[Mike Smith VE9AA]

Like Steve, KL7SB..I disagree with removing uniques as well.  VE9 isn't
exactly rare, (rarer than VE1, 2, 3 or 7 though ) however I do get some
folks, especially on 10m SSB from Europe who tell me "thanks for a new
Province" or "thanks for my first Canada", etc.

 

A couple years ago in the Worked All Germany Contest-2013, I was working
'ONLY' German stations and I worked 252 on 10m SSB alone (+another 200 on CW
on TEN-it was awesome!!).  

Of those 450 on 10m, there were DOZENS who had no idea what the exchange was
or what contest was on.  I recall vividly working 4 or 5 DL mobile station
and had to coax a report out of each and every one of them as they motored
down the road... 

 

I am sure my log was chock full of unique DL stations.  Aren't we supposed
to be the ambassadors of the contesting world when these scenarios present
themselves and put our best foot forward and walk folks through the exchange
and perhaps interest a small percentage of them in contesting?  I always try
my best to do the right thing.  Sometimes if the rate is slow, or some 6m
buddy calls in I will actually say "please go work a few more people.

 

I WANT more stations to work next time around and I WANT casual ops to have
enjoyed their 5 or 10 second experience and not to go away mad.

 

My error rate tends to be very low, so I would say any contest that removes
uniques is doing me (and others) a disservice.

 

If contest rule makers start removing them, (or worse yet, penalizing me for
working them) that leaves me really 2 choices:

 

- to work these guys for nothing, 

- or blow them off and/or ignore them if it's going to cause me a score
reduction.

 

Which is the best thing to do in the forums opinion ?

 

Mike VE9AA

 

Mike, Coreen & Corey

Keswick Ridge, NB