Hello everybody,
I have found this thread interesting from an older person's viewpoint.
It
appears that in some instances the Contest Rules writers have not kept up
with the Contesting Programs writers, too. Let me reminisce a minute.
For instance--regarding the exchange, the SS rules say: "and your ARRL
Section." The rule doesn't specify use of the postal code or reference the
ARRL's List of Section Abbreviations that is available on the Contest
Branch page. Even if it did, it still wouldn't reach everyone who gets on
to give a few contacts. In pencil and paper days, I had to figure whether
the sender meant Louisiana or Los Angeles when he sent LA and put down what
I thought he meant. Did I copy his exchange correctly? Did the
log-checker know--or care? We fought this battle when people started
logging with computers (and before). CT tried to help us out--but that was
still causing problems last year, too. (Remember NFLD/LAB, etc.?)
The ARRL International DX Contest rules say: "send signal report and
state or province." None of us would send "QSA5 NM" or "QRK3 MA". But,
those are legitimate "signal reports". Sure, hams use RST. But what if?
Logging programmers and Super-Checking designers--NIGHTMARE!
Also, "three-digit number" seems pretty specific. But "N" is not a
digit.
But it represents a digit to most of us. Oops, we've been here before.
Thanks for letting me ramble.
73, Charles - N5UL
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