[UK-CONTEST] New CQWW rules

[Roger Western]

Dear UK-Contest,
In today’s thread many folks got hold of the wrong end of the stick. This could’ve been avoided: instead of reading an e-mail and firing off a knee-jerk reply, perhaps we could’ve read the new rules first. Would’ve taken only a couple of minutes.

Hopefully the extract below will close this particular debate. Let’s
prioritise the essential message. We do not expect all 14,000 logs to be checked by a human. Everyone has an automated UBN report showing deductions. Only the most competitive stations are checked in detail by a human.
http://www.cqww.com/rules_2012changes.htm
73 de Roger/G3SXW.
Rule XII.2 - “Log only the call sign you sent during a completed exchange.”

The "call sign you sent" refers to the "other station's call." i.e., the station you are working. 

Over the last several years, SDR recordings of the contest have been utilized to carefully listen to highly competitive entrants. In some cases, when comparing the call signs that Running stations (those who ‘own’ a pileup) sent during the contest to what they actually submitted in their logs, we found the two would not always match. In these cases, the call signs sent by the Running stations during the QSO were broken or busted call signs (they did not match the actual calls of the stations they were working). Clearly, one way this can happen is when there is post-contest call sign correction. 

This rule was crafted because some entrants may claim that these corrections were based on “notes” made during the contest and therefore are “part of the log.” The contest committee has no way to verify if these were made from “notes” during the contest or by use of databases (including a recording of your own contest effort) after the contest. This rule makes it clear that we expect the call sign in the log to match what was sent OVER THE AIR during the QSO.

Q: “What you describe works for the station that is running because it must send the call sign of the station it wishes to contact. What about for QSOs made while tuning the band (search & pounce)?" 

Most entrants answering a solicitation from a Runner (calling CQ, QRZ, TEST, etc.) do not send the call sign of the station they are trying to work. They simply send their own call and then wait to see if the Runner answers them. This is OK. We are expecting the Runner to send the call or a correction of the call so we can verify a match with what is logged. 

Historically, highly competitive entrants spend most of their contesting time running. Therefore, this rule is intended primarily, but not exclusively, for those entrants who are highly competitive in their category of entry.


Q: “Are you saying that the committee is going to listen to all 48 hours for each competitive entry?” 

No. Statistical sampling methods will be employed to flag a log for possible violations. Flagged logs will be subject to stronger sampling and more detailed scrutiny.