[Moon] DUBUS CW EME Contest

[Michael Kohla]

To whom it concerns…



This is to let you know that again I have quite successfully participated
in the 2021 Dubus CW EME contest on the 6 and 3cm bands. A BIG ‚thank you‘
goes out to all stations I have worked on a totally random basis. Although
I have again achieved a very competitive number of QSO’s on both my active
bands (left), I will not send in my logs this year.

Reason: the contest has clear and very simple rules about the involvement
of i-net means, loggers etc. Short exerpt of contest rules to fresh up your
memory:

*…3.3 During Contest time, it is not allowed to use other communications
medium such as internet or packet radio, to self spot, announce CQ
frequency, make skeds, exchange any QSO progress info, confirm whether the
QSO was valid or not*….

As in the previous years, a considerable number of stations active in the
contest, have not followed this very simple rules by hanging around in
loggers like HB9Q during their contest time and exchanging contact details.
Actually, I have no objections doing this, as long as those stations regard
the contest as a sort of QSO-party for themselves and do not appear in the
score list of participants. But exactly this was the case in 3 previous
years. So far, there has been no attempt of rule enforcement by the sponsor
of this ‚contest‘. I recently got in contact with Joachim, DL8HCZ, on this
topic and his comment in general was that he did not have any time to
invest in following up on the contest rules.

Be it so, obviously it is up to the contestants themselves to honestly keep
to the rules – what a surprise, isn‘t it ???

When during this year‘s contest I approached one of the participants in the
HB9Q logger reminding him very politely of keeping to the rules, I was
returned that coordinating QSO details during contest times through the
logger meanwhile were common habit.

Aha, lesson learnt! As long as there is no kind of rule enforcement by some
sort of referee (as there was in former times …), i.e. disqualifying
offenders to check logs, this kind of ‚contest‘ for me is not worth to
invest any time in compiling and sending in my logs.

As criticism is pointless without showing up alternatives, here is my
proposal: besides enforcing contest rules as practised in former times, why
not simply switch off all loggers, chats, etc. during Dubus CW EME contest
times? Seemingly, this is necessary.

I still believe there is a vast number of operators, who are capable to
establish their eme contacts on a true and honest random basis off the moon
without i-net help. By simply switching off the HB9Q-logger, which in my
eyes is the most prominent meeting point these days, a serious competition
would be given again.

Or should this very last wake-up call be enough of a reminder to strictly
keep to the contest rules again?? I would be happy, then….

Of course, I am totally aware of the fact that my post will initiate a true
shit storm. The alternative would have been to angrily keep silent with all
the rule offenses, I have witnessed in the past years and which
unfortunately  had no consequences for the offenders. But why should I ??
So far, I am an active part of the game, and I claim the right for me to
adress things, that objectively are going wrong.

If you want to check the HB9Q logger inputs, simply search within the
logger for the history of the particular contest days and judge yourself. I
have proposed to do this also to DL8HCZ, by the way. No comment yet from
his side.

Now, have fun to throw loads of shit on me….or just step back a little and
start thinking again?



Best regards,

Michael, SA6BUN/DL1YMK