[UK-CONTEST] Contest end time

[g3ory at lineone.net]

Hi Guys,

I have been following the thread about 'rubber clocking' and offer 
a 
couple of thoughts:

1. Clear guidance from the CC would be helpful. All this 
stuff about 'discretion' is all very well but it is too 
easily 

interpreted as the entrant sees fit.



2. As the CC demonstrated on their stand at the RSGB Hamfest, it is 

perfectly feasible to use an SDR and a computer to record the whole 
of 

the contest's spectrum for as long as your hard drive has capacity.  

All that needs to be done is to record the contest spectrum for the 5 

minutes before the end and 10 minutes after. Then the adjudicator can 

tune the recording at his or her leisure to identify any blatant 

breaches of the rules regarding contest duration.  You would not have 

to do this very often before the rest of us got the 'message'.







73 Bob



G3ORY







>----Original Message----

>From: chris.spencer1 at googlemail.com

>Date: 04/11/2010 1:06 

>To: <uk-contest at contesting.com>

>Subj: Re: [UK-CONTEST] Contest end time - a consensus please.

>

>>

>> "My contest buddy and I have become regular entrants of the RSGB 6M, 
2M and

>> 70cms Tuesday evening activity contests. For logging a 'retired' 
laptop is

>> used with Minos logger. This evening, while trying to complete the 
last

>> contact of the evening, deliberate interference was received from a 
G4

>> station, whose view was that the contest had ended, however, 
according to

>> the laptop, when the contact was initiated, the contest still had a 
minute

>> to run. In the end, I felt justified in persevering for a further 
30

>> seconds

>> to complete the contact, partly because I'd started the contact 
before the

>> end of the contest and, partly, because of the deliberate 
interference.

>>

>> The view I take regarding contest timing is that I start and finish

>> according to the time shown by the equipment I have. I accept that 
it's

>> possible that the equipment is out by a minute or two - this is a

>> limitation

>> of the equipment. I operate for the duration of operation allowed by 
the

>> contest rules and what I gain or lose at the start of the contest, I 
loose

>> or gain at the end.

>>

>>

>>

>> In the end, this is just a hobby! What's the consensus is my view of 
the

>> world reasonable?

>>

>>

>>

>> Roger

>>

>> G0BSU"

>>

>

>Roger,

>

>Sorry you felt this was deliberate QRM.

>

>I was going to contact you directly after the contest, but could not 
find

>your email on QRZ, as I do not want any hard feelings (we are bound to 
here

>each other again on Tuesday nights and all contestants need to enjoy 
the

>hobby and get on.)

>

>No need to name and shame me - I feel I need to be open about this 
very

>touchy subject. I knew this might raise its head after I reluctantly 
tried

>to contact you at just after 22.32 - giving you a chance to check 
your

>clock.  This is why I made a record of this on my PC should it arise. 
I gave

>my callsign and after you asked me politely to abstain from raising 
the

>point I made a note and left frequency at 22.33 and 10 seconds whilst 
you

>were still trying to exchange details. I just felt I needed to make 
the

>point and am sorry you felt that this was deliberate QRM. But I guess 
it was

>down to your Laptop clock being out that made you feel this way. 
Personally

>I set the time on my laptop clock and digital watch before I go out

>portable. The times I refer to were taken from 2 x clocks connected to 
the

>Rugby MSF station. 1 x Portable Oregon scientific and 1 x weather 
station

>clock with radio time. I want to take this chance to apologise for any 
hard

>feelings. Maybe next time just set a digital watch if the laptop 
isn't

>reliable. As I also felt bad about doing this on reflection, thinking 
to

>myself that maybe I took things too seriously. But then if it wasn't 
me this

>time, I'm sure with your clock so far out, then someone else in the 
future

>may do just the same as I did.

>

>Anyway before I saw this email in the group I also checked the UKAC 
144Mhz

>rules, as I felt a little bad about our exchange, and could not myself 
find

>any clear rules on this matter. So rather the us fall out over this I 
would

>say it is best to take the opportunity on both sides to learn from the 
said

>experience and hopefully we can get some clarification of the rules. i.
e. If

>a QSO began at 22.29 and 59 seconds do you conclude the QSO until the

>exchange is complete and if so how long for? Or do we all just stop 
any

>competition related transmittions dead on 22.30.

>

>Let's hope we can get some clarity regarding the rules for future 
reference

>and both learn from this.

>

>All the best, and hope I don't appear too anal on this one Roger.

>

>73

>

>Chris

>G8HCB

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