[RMVHF] Possible solution

[Jim W0EEA]

Hi,

I've been an active VHF and up contester for over 30 years.  I want to 
say that I heartily agree with what James Duffey says below about Gene 
Zimmerman's editorial comments (what else can you fairly call them?) on 
ethics in The World Above 50 MHz in the August QST.  The first time I 
ever visited a VHF contest operation they had a list of skeds posted.  I 
operated for years with a big gun VHF operation in the Midwest and we 
regularly had skeds with people that were arranged before the contest.  
As far as I am concerned making prearranged skeds for a VHF contest is a 
time honored and ethical practice. 

Asking friends to work you only is wrong.  Having friends that work you 
and only whoever else they run into while they are looking for you isn't.

I've never lived where club competition was a big deal.  I'll leave that 
one to those who are more involved.

Except in the 10 GHz contest calling multipliers (or anyone else) about 
wanting or completing a QSO is wrong.  But calling a rover who is two 
hours overdue somewhere to make sure he / they didn't drive into a tree 
somewhere is okay as long as no QSO info is discussed.

Asking for info on a multiplier is a wrong too.  But using such 
information provided unsolicited by another on the air during a contest 
is fine by me.

I have also operated many HF contests.  These examples happen both on HF 
and VHF.  Some operators like to brag,  i.e., "I just worked (pick 
anything you still need) up about 10 kHz from here".  Others spot 
stations sometimes intentionally and others inadvertantly,  i.e., 
"You're QRMing the (mult you need on frequency) while you are pointed at 
someone in another direction.  I heard a station on the air the other 
day say that using those kinds of info (a spot of someone on the same 
band provided unsolicited by a third party) is both unethical and a rule 
violation for a single operator while it might be okay between 
multi-ops.  Sorry I don't agree with that at all.  Someone who doesn't 
jump on a needed QSO under those circumstances is simply a poor operator 
in my book.

Log editing:  I reserve the priviledge of correcting any typos I find in 
the log.  Gene's example of K9NS is simply too well known a call to be 
appropriate to his point.  I would certainly know after a contest 
whether I had worked the Mt. Frank gang or not.  If I saw K9MS in my log 
and couldn't find a QSO with K9NS in it I'd change it without a second 
thought.  Same for anyone regularly worked.

Regarding net lookups post contest.  As many logging programs now look 
up everyone you work as you work them I don't see why anyone would 
bother after the contest so I'll give him that one.  During the 
contest?  No problem as far as I am concerned.  I get comments on the 
QRZ.com and w0eea.com pictures of my station from people I am working 
regularly.  Net lookups are approching being the norm now if the aren't 
there already.

Asking others who they worked may be the one old time regular VHF 
practice that I have to really agree with Gene on.  Its wrong.

I consider using a tape of a contest to be directly equivalent to using 
an ARRL Log-checking Report.  I wouldn't use it to change a submitted 
log but I sure want to know the where and why of the mistakes that were 
made.

That's my comments on the QST column.  I have a lot more to say on 
ethics and contesting.  I'll be posting a long email on the subject in a 
few days.  Most of it is written already,  was written before I found 
the August QST and read W3ZZ's column,  and deals with real life 
specific examples.  It will be a new thread.  I'm just looking for typos 
and such before I send it.

73,

Jim   W0EEA   DM79vh


>
> James Duffey wrote:
>
>> Having said that, I think that much of Gene's opinions on ethical VHF 
>> contesting are formed by VHF contesting in the Northeast and midwest, 
>> by large multi-multi contest operations, and by intense club 
>> competition. With the limited activity we have out here in all 
>> categories in VHF contests, much of what he says about ethics in VHF 
>> contesting is counterproductive.
>>
>> Still, culture has a big impact on ethics and many of the things he 
>> considers unethical are the end result of VHF history and the way 
>> weak signal VHF work has been done since its inception.
>>
>> I certainly would like the ARRL to open all contest logs to all 
>> participants. I would feel much better about log checking and the 
>> ARRL's attitude towards it if I could see for myself where the error 
>> was made in the other guys logs.
>>