[CQ-Contest] Additional Penalty

[Ken K6MR]

It would seem that the additional penalty rule hurts the LP/QRP folks the most: they are more likely to have marginal signals. If I have trouble copying I’m more likely to declare NIL (or worse, not respond in the first place) if I know that busting the Q would result in additional penalties.  If I’m just going to lose the Q then it’s worth taking the chance.

Ken K6MR

From: Alan Dewey via CQ-Contest<mailto:cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2016 14:36
To: CQ-Contest at contesting.com<mailto:CQ-Contest at contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Additional Penalty

I don't have a problem with penalty QSOs.  I just consider it part of  my
contest strategy.  How much time do I spend trying to get the call  right
before just leaving it in the log and going on.  If I knew I was  going to get
a penalty, I would spend a lot more time trying to get the call  right.  If
there was no penalty, I would be more likely to just go on  (especially if I
had a good run going)  knowing the worst that  could happen is that I would
lose the QSO.

I compete with a guy here in MN who has an extremely accurate log - often a
 golden log.  I know that I have to either minimize my errors or find a way
 to exceed his score by a comfortable "buffer".  This is a motivator for me
 to do better.

As someone has stated, most penalties are imposed only when the CALL is
copied wrong.  If you miscopy, say, the check in SS, you are going to lose
the Q but no penalty.

There is only one thing that bothers me about the penalty QSOs.  If I
decided to delete the QSO (after several unsuccessful efforts to get it right
due to QRM and QSB), it keeps me from being penalized but it ends up
penalizing  the guy who thought he had made the QSO with me.  I'm not sure what can
be  done about that.

73,

Al, K0AD


In a message dated 4/13/2016 8:04:37 A.M. Central Daylight Time,
kzerohb at gmail.com writes:

In a  contest you accumulate a score by contacting other stations, correctly
copy  their callsign and generally some other bit(s) of information,  and
accurately transcribe that exchange to your log.

Having  correctly copied and logged the required elements, you are  credited
point(s) and perhaps a "mult".

If you incorrectly copy the  exchange, or finger-fault the log entry, then
you are not credited the  point(s) or mult.

Without overly belaboring the obvious, your success  as a contester is
directly proportional how fast and accurately you can  fill your log with
"good" exchanges. Lower accuracy = lower  score.

So what useful purpose is served by the retribution imposed in  the practice
of reducing the score further with an "additional  penalty"?

Do basketball players suffer an additional score reduction if  they miss a
shot? Are points (already scored) deducted from a baseball team  if a batter
fails to get on base? Does a bowler forfeit points earned in  the first
frame if they throw a gutter ball in the eighth  frame?

Just  wondering.
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