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Re: [CQ-Contest] Encouraging Spotting of SSB QSOs in Contests

To: Jack Brindle <jackbrindle@me.com>
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Encouraging Spotting of SSB QSOs in Contests
From: Pete Smith N4ZR <pete.n4zr@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2022 14:31:39 -0500
List-post: <mailto:cq-contest@contesting.com>
What does "generating spotting information for use by other stations" mean?  To me that's massively obscure - does it mean it's OK for you to spot other stations?  I hope so, but it's not obvious.

73, Pete N4ZR
Check out the new Reverse Beacon Network
web server at<https://reversebeacon.net>.
For spots, please use your favorite
"retail" DX cluster.

On 11/19/2022 12:47 PM, Jack Brindle wrote:
Every contester should read the contest rules _before_ entering the contest. From this 
year’s ARRL Sweepstakes rules:
"Generating spotting information for use by other stations is not considered to be 
spotting assistance."

Also, the old prohibition of self-spotting is no longer in the rules.

You might want to check out the rules before 2100Z…

73,
Jack, W6FB


On Nov 19, 2022, at 9:44 AM, Pete Smith N4ZR<pete.n4zr@gmail.com>  wrote:

I've been appalled by how few stations spot in phone contests, even though N1MM+ 
(and perhaps other contest logging programs) offer the option of spotting all 
S&P QSOs, regardless of mode.

It's been suggested to me that some non-assisted contest entrants may be 
deterred because of concern that they might risk disqualification if frequent 
spots attributed to them are seen on the cluster network.  If that's a 
significant deterrent, which seems somewhat credible, then perhaps the sponsors 
of the major contests should singly or collectively announce that the 
appearance of spots attributed to non-assisted competitors will not, by 
themselves, be considered  evidence of assisted status.

Then how would illicit assisted operation be detected?  15 years ago, CT1BOH 
and VE5ZX authored a paper on how to identify undisclosed two-radio or assisted 
operation through log analysis.  With the capabilities now available to us, and 
the near-universal acceptance of open logs, it seems to me that the means exist 
for detecting undisclosed assistance without making assumptions based on 
spotting.

So what say, contest organizers?

--
73, Pete N4ZR
Check out the new Reverse Beacon Network
web server at<https://reversebeacon.net>.
For spots, please use your favorite
"retail" DX cluster.
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