[CQ-Contest] Encouraging Spotting of SSB QSOs in Contests

[Pete Smith N4ZR]

I've been appalled by how few stations spot in phone contests, even 
though N1MM+ (and perhaps other contest logging programs) offer the 
option of spotting all S&P QSOs, regardless of mode.

It's been suggested to me that some non-assisted contest entrants may be 
deterred because of concern that they might risk disqualification if 
frequent spots attributed to them are seen on the cluster network.  If 
that's a significant deterrent, which seems somewhat credible, then 
perhaps the sponsors of the major contests should singly or collectively 
announce that the appearance of spots attributed to non-assisted 
competitors will not, by themselves, be considered  evidence of assisted 
status.

Then how would illicit assisted operation be detected?  15 years ago, 
CT1BOH and VE5ZX authored a paper on how to identify undisclosed 
two-radio or assisted operation through log analysis.  With the 
capabilities now available to us, and the near-universal acceptance of 
open logs, it seems to me that the means exist for detecting undisclosed 
assistance without making assumptions based on spotting.

So what say, contest organizers?

-- 
73, Pete N4ZR
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