[CQ-Contest] Self-spotting explanation from CQWW blog

[Rich Assarabowski]

This just appeared on CQ WW
http://cqww.com/blog/cqww-2016-ssb-self-spotting-and-entrant-audio-recording
s/ .    I know the intimate details of two situations from the last CQWW
where genuine friends, unrelated to the contest effort and with NO
communication with the contest operation were trying to help out and spot
their buddies, resulting in DQ letters to the contest operation.   The
explanation below by KR2Q clarifies the definition of self-spotting.

To me the logic of self-spotting as defined by KR2Q is completely flawed.
It basically says that it's OK to spot a friend but not too fast, not too
often, and never when you hear his rate dropping.    The assumption made
that frequent and fast spotting "indicate linkage to the mother station" is
absurd.   These rules now open up the opportunity that if you don't like
someone, just spot him a few times (and no one else) and they will
automatically get DQ'ed.   

 

It's finally time for a rules change - allow self-spotting.   One way is to
have logging software send out automatic spots of yourself based on a
commonly agreed upon algorithm, e.g. every X minutes, every new QSY, etc.
The issue here is what to do about single-ops who are not connected to the
internet and those in locations without internet service.     This could be
the "nail in the coffin" for the single-op category with no Internet
connection and penalizes those operations who do not have Internet service.
Incidentally, the T48K operation got DQ'ed for self-spotting and they did
NOT have Internet service in Cuba.    Ask K1XX, K1EP and K1MM about that one
;)

 

--- Rich K1CC