Some comments on log checking:
ZL1ANJ's example 1:
>ZL1ANJ log: 12-Dec-98 2338UTC 10M SSB K1TTT sent 59 1008 received 59 MA
>K1TTT log: 10 SSB 12/12/98 2339 1231 ZL1HA 59 MA 59 1008 2 0
The task for the log checking software and human log checker in this case
is to decide whether K1TTT worked ZL1ANJ, but miss-copied the call sign, or
did K1TTT work ZL1HA while ZL1ANJ thought he was working K1TTT. First of
all, according to QRZ, ZL1HA is a valid call sign. Secondly, ZL1HA is not
very similar to ZL1ANJ. Usually, busted call signs look like ZL2ANJ,
ZL1NAJ, ZL1AN, etc. The only clue that K1TTT actually worked ZL1ANJ is that
K1TTT's log shows the same serial number as ZL1ANJ sent. I don't know if
K8CC's contest log checking software flagged this similarity, but based on
the other differences, I'm not surprised that it was scored as a NIL.
ZL1ANJ's example 2:
>K2BA sends in CW log only, but not 3 SSB QSOs
The underlying assumption of all log checking is that when a log checker
receives a log from a contestant, he assumes that the submitted log
contains all QSOs made during the contest by the contestant. The need to
submit complete logs (dupes, other bands when single band, etc.) has been
made many times on this reflector for other contests. Unfortunately, ZL1ANJ
is "punished" for the omission of K2BA. K2BA isn't required by the rules to
submit all of his QSOs, but if/when he doesn't, others will lose points.
I've personally had this experience in a different form: I work a U.S.
station in CQWW for a zone mult, but the other station doesn't log me. The
result in both cases is a NIL.
Other comments:
Some have commented that it is unfair to lose points when the "other"
station doesn't send in a log. I know of no contest where a contestant who
submits a log loses points solely based on logging a QSO with someone who
didn't submit a log. ZL1ANJ's second example is not this case. It is a case
of someone not submitting a log of all QSOs during the contest. There are
many more participants in a contest than those who choose to submit logs.
For example, in the NAQP SSB contests only 200-300 participants submit
logs, but those logs contain thousands of call signs.
WC1M asked how dupe QSOs are handled when they may show up in logs at
widely different times. I can only speak for how I handle this case when
checking NAQP SSB logs. Other log checkers and log checking software may
differ. My NAQP SSB log checking software shows me all QSOs logged by two
contestants on the same band, regardless of the time of the QSOs. An
example might look like:
1800Z 10 K6ZZ BOB CA WA7BNM BRUCE CA
2100Z 10 WA7BNM BRUCE CA K6ZZ BOB CA
2102Z 10 K6ZZ BOB CA WA7BNM BRUCE CA
In this case, I would "throw out" the 1800Z QSO and use the other two as a
match. On the other hand, if the 2102Z K6ZZ QSO didn't exist, I would still
call the 1800Z and 2100Z QSOs a match -- it would look like WA7BNM didn't
log the original 1800Z QSO, but worked K6ZZ later in the contest at 2100Z
(but K6ZZ didn't bother to log the 2100Z QSO since he already had WA7BNM in
the log at 1800Z).
In any major contest effort, we're going to lose a few QSOs through no
fault of our own. Just remember that if you submit a log, submit all QSOs,
and if you have any doubts, log all dupes.
73 de Bruce, WA7BNM (bhorn@hornucopia.com)
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