[CQ-Contest] Yet another ARRL rules that need to be fixed

[Jim Stahl]

Speaking of ARRL rules that ought to be fixed:


(General rules for all contests)

3.3.An operator may not use more than one call sign from any given location during the contest period.
. . .
3.5.A transmitter used to contact one or more stations may not be subsequently used under any other call during the contest period, except for family stations where more than one call has been issued, and then only if the second call sign is used by a different operator. (The intent of this rule is to accommodate family members who must share a rig and to prohibit manufactured or artificial contacts.)
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I understand what is trying to be avoided: manufactured contacts for a favored station or stations. But these rules do little to achieve that. Somebody passing such contacts simply won’t be submitting a log for the manufactured contacts.

What is being outlawed here is the ability to start over fresh and make more QSOs, and still being able to get credit both as a published score and as a contribution to a club score.

CQ contests don’t have this rule. In the CQ160CW contest this year, I operated from my Florida condo QTH on the first night as K8MR, and on the second night as W3USA. I had 57 QSOs as K8MR, 78 as W3USA. I worked 29 people from both calls, 28 uniques from MR, and 47 uniques from USA. (Interestingly, in the 2016 ARRL 160 contest I had 78 QSOs spread over the two nights as K8MR.)

I had more fun in the CQ contest working those 29 people a second time, and I trust they did not mind the work of pulling my very weak signal out of the noise for another QSO. I spent more time in the CQ test than I would have if I had to just tune past those people I’d worked the first night. In short, everybody benefitted from my using two calls from the same location with the same transmitter.

I would certainly agree with certain limits, as in to avoid the “now listen for my other call” follow up QSOs. Perhaps a time off limit for the first call after having made a QSO with another call (an hour?) or a rule that a call could not be used at all after a second call was used. 

But if the goal is to have people active and making QSOs in contests, let people start over as fresh meat with a new call.


73  -  Jim   K8MR