[CQ-Contest] Spots, Lies and Audio Tapes - a proposal

[Ward Silver]

 > Drowned out in much of the speculation and commentary on this reflector
 > is the incredible amount of work put into the results by Randy and 
the Contest
 > Committee. They are the real heroes of contesting and deserve our 
profound
 > thanks for their volunteer efforts.

Amen.  It makes my brain hurt just to think of the hours expended on 
this.  It's too easy to hit Send without considering all this is 
volunteer-based and largely uncompensated work on our behalf. Thanks...

 > ...why not "test drive" the [recording requirement] (as with the 
original Observer program) and
 > phase in the concept with the group arguably most affected: SOAB 
Unassisted.

The suggestion has merit.  Try it for a while and see what works and 
what doesn't.  As Scott observes, it costs around $50 and requires only 
a Y-adapter to do a perfectly good job of recording the audio. This is 
trivial - I spent more on chair pads for my butt.  The audio file would 
only be required on request from the committee - they are not trying to 
make extra work for themselves.  Not making a recording would have 
minimal to no impact on the casual operators who are the lifeblood of 
the contest.  Eventually, word will trickle out and people will get used 
to it just like submitting Cabrillo-formatted logs.

While I believe SOAB Unassisted will eventually fade away for a variety 
of reasons, it is still a highly prized mode of competition by top 
operators today.  If something as simple and low-cost as an audio 
recording preserves the ability to distinguish between SOABU and SOABA 
by raising to an unacceptable level the risk of being detected at this 
particular mode of cheating, I would support asking SOAB Unassisted 
operators to record their operation.  Put a five-year evaluation period 
on it and assess in 2020, then renew, revise, or reject.

73, Ward N0AX