[CQ-Contest] Merging Social Media and Contesting

[Stanley Zawrotny]

I agree that this form of operating gives an unfair advantage and should not be competing directly with non-media operations.

However, the obvious benefits of merging social media with contesting and DXing are such that the needs to be a away to accommodate that. That could easily be accomplished with an “unlimited “ category that could possibly be used for some other variances, such as remote megastations. 

The alternative would be for them to enter only as a checklog. This would probably decrease the operator’s motivation to compete, but they would need to determine their priority— to compete or to benefit from the social media.

Stan, K4SBZ

"Real radio bounces off the sky."

> On Mar 11, 2020, at 10:31 AM, Edward Sawyer <EdwardS at sbelectronics.com> wrote:
> 
> Some of you may not be aware of an interesting and different even that happened last weekend.
> 
> W2RE of well known RHR fame, decided to not only provide live streaming of his contesting effort, but tied it into the activity he has been doing since early January which is fully integrating the on air DX activity into Facebook and youtube channel streaming.  Ray has done a wonderful job of integrating social media with HF on air activity as part of promoting RHR and DXing in general.  You cant argue that this benefits the hobby in general.
> 
> However, the rules of the contest state that "contacts cannot be solicited by non-amateur means".  Examples are typically given but those examples are not exhaustive.  The intent of the rule, I believe, is that you should have people calling you by the normal discovery process that all of us use.  Not a special method no one else is using.
> 
> Ray, to his credit, was not showing his transmit frequency ion the video.  And I personally believe there was no intention of using this additional channel to gain an advantage.  At all.  However, if you look at the activity generated on the facebook page - a couple of million hits since early January (bravo Ray) - its hard for me to rationalize that there is not a direct pick up of Qs based on this parallel activity.  Casuals, which are a huge part of running up the Q totals in any major DX contest, may be listening to the channel and say, I wonder how loud I am verses these other guys Ray is working.  And look up on the cluster to find Ray's frequency and give a call to hear themselves.  That is exactly "soliciting a contact by non-amateur means".  Not overtly - like give me a call if you are watching - but by "advertising" and letting the rest happen on its own.
> 
> I think it is a wonderful idea on its own.  But it does not compete fairly with those just playing the game by the rules as intended.
> 
> CQ WW used to have an unlimited class, maybe they still do.  Maybe we need an unlimited class to promote this "multi channel" contesting.  But mixing it up with normal contesting just doesn't feel right to me.
> 
> What do others think?
> 
> Ed  N1UR
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