[CQ-Contest] Self spotting

[Christopher Paulin]

The ARRL contest committee made a very poor decision that was not well
thought out by allowing self-spotting in their contests.  The 2023 ARRL 10m
contest rules read verbatim:

 

"PROH.3. Arranging, soliciting, or confirming any contacts during or after
the contest by use of any non-

amateur radio means. All required elements of a contact must be exchanged
via amateur radio."

 

How is a station that is using the internet to self-spot not in violation of
Prohibited Conduct in that contest?  Yet self-spotting was apparently
allowed by the ARRL, even for "unassisted" stations!  There are a myriad of
other problems with the way those rules are written, which I've already
commented on.

 

The ARRL DX 2024 rules have apparently been rewritten to try to rectify some
of these blatant conflicts, but the end result is the same:  self-spotting
in contests should be prohibited.

 

Chris N8ACP