EDIT 2 hours after posting: it seems that others have done the same ‘investigation’. While I was typing this, several people posted the same on the CQ Contest reflector…
I have always tried to keep the ham spirit high, especially in contesting. But I know there is a lot of cheating going in. Excessive power (5kW or more?), claiming Low Power while running an amp, claiming unassisted while using packet etc. There are probably a ton more ways to cheat that I don’t even know about. That’s why contest plaques and World Records don’t mean too much to me. I’m mostly in it for the fun. Because my station / location are not positioned to win on a global scale, I admit.
But then there was this Battle of the Cheaters posting by N6TJ made on the CQ Contest reflector. I don’t really know Jim Neiger N6TJ but I respect his accomplishments in contesting and overall his postings make sense. This time, I think he’s speaking in tongues and remaining vague. In his next posting he revealed something more:
It’s amazing to me that so many are not aware that last year’s CQ WW CW SO/AB No. 1 claimed score was ultimately DQed, and with a minimal amount if interest and reading of what is available to 100% of the world to read, all could learn.
So I did some investigating. I downloaded last year’s CQ WW CW results on the CQ Mag scores and results page. The very very last line is quite interesting. I quote: Disqualified: C4M (op. RW3QC). Log results deemed incompatible with category of entry.
Then on to the logs that are made public. Here’s the C4M log claiming SOAB(A). Here’s what he claims:
CLAIMED-SCORE: 14538876
That score is also on 3830 from that period only claimed as NOT assisted. What strikes me is that his 3830 posting is SOAB – NOT assisted while his submitted log claims assisted.
But look at this: the claimed scores for not-assisted SOAB-HP non-USA. Here’s the top 5 in that category:
CT3NT(CT1BOH) 6563 160 520 48 13,289,920 Madeira Team
P40W(W2GD) 6464 151 490 45 12,244,382 FRC
V47NT(N2NT) 7189 154 491 48 12,009,900 FRC
PZ5ZY(N6ZZ) 6089 150 492 43.5 11,469,330 SCCC
P40T(N6AA) 6372 143 441 46 11,041,688 SCCC
In short: the C4M 3830 Claimed score would top CT3NT with over 1 million points. It goes without saying that this will have rasied a few eyebrows resulting in very close log checking and scrutinizing his performance by the log checkers.
So what exactly did happen? Was he assisted claiming unassisted? Was it a M/S or M/2 operation submitted as SOAB? I have no clue, but I surely would like to know… And what (who?) does N6TJ mean that is is happening again this year (2007)? To be continued?