[UK-CONTEST] 144 UK AC

[Ray James]

--- On Wed, 7/1/09, David Ferrington, M0XDF <M0XDF at Alphadene.co.uk> wrote:


> Did I miss something here, do the new rules allow for
> spotting on a DxCluster?

Of course David!
Not for self gain of course but to help your fellow competitors.
However, if you're a "G" and in particular you're located in the South East, spotting some DX or hard to get square multiplier is manner from heaven to your fellow competitors. As the majority of competitors are "currently" located in IO91/JO01 or adjoining squares then do you REALLY want to help the folk you're competing against?
If you worked Martin GM8IEM in IO78....are you really going to broadcast it hi. Under previous rules we actually did do such unselfish activities and the hobby benefited for it. 

If however like me, you're just giving points away and not entering, you can do what you want and have fun on KST or the cluster.

>From the General Rules:

Do spot DX you have worked or heard when tuning the band for the benefit of all.
Do use the DX cluster to help you find DX during the contest.
Don't use the DX cluster to help the DX find you.
Don't ask other stations that you work to "please spot me"
Don't spot DX you've just worked on your frequency.
Don't spot your fellow team member (if operating in team/multi band contests eg UKAC, AFS, VHF NFD etc).


73 Ray GM4CXM






> 
> On 7 Jan 2009, at 14:50, Ray James wrote:
> 
> > 
> > Happy 2009 to one and all.
> > 
> > Having finished work on the new H-frame mounted
> 2m/70cm system I thought it would be a good opportunity to
> see how different the Contest Committee's new rules for
> 2009 would impact the first event of the year.
> > 
> > I was present for the full duration to give
> points/multipliers away.
> > As the health of weak signal use of the UK VHF and
> above spectrum has been a concern, also how our contest
> rules encourage or dis-courage support, I opted to
> experiment on this occasion.
> > The antennas never looked to the south east for the
> first hour as I used this time to establish what support
> could be found in GM and GI. EI would also have been a
> beneficiary of my beaming at EI.
> > 
> > The overall result was 14 GM's worked, 1 gotaway
> and two other known to be active but not heard. One of the
> latter was GM0HTT in Orkney. The furthest north I worked was
> Stirlingshire, nothing from the east coast centres of
> activity from Edinburgh through to Aberdeen.
> > Despite lots of CQ's towards GI/EI....zilch,
> though I gathered after the event that at least one station
> was on from each country.
> > The remainder of the event was spent either listening
> across the band to white noise, interspersed with a few
> local operators and any G/GW who was calling up country and
> one PA0 just as he turned his antenna and was heard no more!
> Running produced a fair number of contacts down into JO01,
> IO91 and IO81 with a sprinkling of contacts to be found in
> the midlands and north of England/Wales. A local
> "spotted" me in the last half hour and that had an
> expected result! It was also interesting to note how no
> G's were spotting other G's, only EU's were
> spotting G's. I spotted a few locals who I know would be
> entering but this whole cluster/KST position must be raising
> quite a few wry smiles and head shaking over the channel!
> > 
> > Have the Contest Committee's new UKAC rules
> helped?
> > Have the CC inspired UKAC activity from all over the
> UK?
> > Are the CC putting UK VHF+ interests first?
> > 
> > On the basis of last night's event, not in the
> slightest.