[CQ-Contest] VY1JA Two QSO's Talk about Murphy..

[Martin Durham]

One correction Art. There WAS one year that the PDA sponsor did not win. I know....I was one of the three amigos who bought and paid for our win...fair and square. W1MD-k1QX-K1XX
:)

Marty
W1MD

> On Nov 7, 2018, at 7:23 PM, Stephen Bloom <sbloom at acsalaska.net> wrote:
> 
> In this scenario, I would expect that some UA1 will win the contest with a
> score of 0.
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: CQ-Contest [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Art
> Boyars
> Sent: Monday, November 05, 2018 6:30 AM
> To: CQ-Contest Reflector <cq-contest at contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] VY1JA Two QSO's Talk about Murphy..
> 
> Two comments/stories.
> 
> First, I hold the record for minimum score in a real contest (see below, for
> meaning of "real").
> 
> Not so many years ago I was still using CT-DOS for a Stew Perry TBDC.  When
> generating the Cabrillo log, some glitch in the software left some extra
> characters at the end of each QSO line.  The Contest Sponsor's log checking
> software decided that those characters invalidated each QSO.  I wound up
> with a published score of zero.
> 
> Second, negative scores are not new.
> 
> I believe that in the most recent Poisson d'Avril Contest, the Sponsor
> tweaked the log checking software so that all entries (other than the
> Sponsor's) wound up with negative scores.  Thus, the Sponsor's amazing
> string of victories continued.
> 
> Credible rumors have been reported that for the next running of the Poisson
> d'Avril the Sponsor will use advanced technology-- building on the
> technology of Skimmer, RBN, and Live Scoreboards -- to monitor all ongoing
> QSOs, and hack into each participant's computer to modify the log before it
> is submitted.  The log will appear correct on the user's screen, but every
> QSO in the submitted log will be busted.
> 
> What about  the possibility that contestants might develop computer security
> systems that result in un-corrupted logs being submitted?
> 
> The rumors report that the Sponsor is already working (perhaps with Amazon,
> although that data is less reliable) on deployable mini-drone low-power RF
> generators that create QRN, QRM, and even bogus QSO signals.  A drone (or
> drones, if needed) will hover near each participant's antenna(s), so each
> participant will actually be busting every QSO.  Manipulation of the logs
> will no longer be required.
> 
> The RF drones will be linked in microwave smart-mesh networks to protect
> against the possibility of counter-correcting log errors -- two contestants'
> logs having matching errors that accidentally create a valid QSO.
> 
> The rumors include an even less credible, but even more futuristic, aspect:
> The Sponsor is funding research into warping sunspots and other aspects of
> space weather that affect HF propagation.  The goal is to have the bands
> completely dead for all participants except for the Sponsor, who will make
> but one QSO -- with him/herself, operating a remote station.
> 
> These two advanced efforts are being led by Pd'ACARPA -- the Poisson d'Avril
> Contest Advanced Research Projects Agency.  In-house, the Agency is called
> just "CARP".  CARP's source of funding has not been exposed, but many
> believe that some funding comes from the money saved by the sponsors of
> "real" contests sending the various winners print-it-yourself e-mail
> certificates instead of providing proper calligraphy-on-parchment
> certificates.
> 
> Now, having reported these things to the CQ-Contest Reflector community, I
> offer the following advice for your protection.
> 
> First, the first story is true.  (You could look it up.)  We should probably
> look over our Cabrillo logs before we hit he Send button.
> 
> Second, the second story is a complete fiction (except the part about the
> Sponsor winning every running of the Poisson d'Avril Contest; I really
> admire the creativity that has gone into the Pd'A).  However, I must make
> that disclaimer/clarification because whenever I post something humorous or
> sarcastic here on the CQ-Contest Reflector, somebody takes it seriously and
> starts a whole contentiousness.
> 
> 73, Art K3KU
> 
> 
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