[UK-CONTEST] Decline in 2m contest activity

[Paul O'Kane]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ray James" <gm4cxm at yahoo.co.uk>

...

> A contact is a contact, contest or no contest.

Wrong!

Since the beginnings of radio, skeds have been used to
facilitate DXing - think of Marconi's first trans-atlantic
tests.  No matter what medium is used to make the skeds,
it makes no difference to the validity of the 2-way
contact, so long as the latter is made solely with RF.  

It's the same today with amateur radio DXing - all that's
needed for a valid QSO (for DXCC purposes) is the exchange
and acknowledgement of callsigns - how you find the DX
does not matter so long as you personally use amateur-band
RF to work it.

It's not quite the same with contesting.  There are rules
which impose constraints.  In general, single-operators 
are expected to find the DX, as well as work it, all by
themselves. For both single-op and multi-op, pre-arranged
skeds are out, as also are those arranged (at any time)
by any means other than RF on the bands and/or modes
corresponding to their entry class.

In general (perhaps I'm optimistic), HF contesters
understand this and stick to the rules.  It seems to me
that some VHF contesters are economical with adherence
to the rules, and consider it fair game to arrange
skeds by any means at their disposal - after all, isn't
everyone else doing it?  And how else could they be
expected to have a reasonable number of contest QSOs on
VHF/UHF, especially these days when activity is so low?
And isn't it all supposed to be fun?

As if any of this made a difference!

If it's OK to arrange skeds using chat-rooms or spotting
networks then, logically, it must be equally OK to arrange
skeds by telephone.

No contest QSO is valid in the context of rule-breaking.
Sure, the QSO happened, but that's not enough to guarantee
its validity.

73,
Paul EI5DI