3V8BB in CQ WW DX CW 2008

When CQ WW DX Contest start open log policy many radioamateurs start examinate the logs and even some groups of radio amateurs is start making own analyze of the logs
Here you can see analyze provided to us by group of the contesters calling their self Group for Fair Contesting

3V8BB CASE
HYPOTHESIS:
3V8BB is using 2nd operator and/or spotting network.

ANALYSIS:

The operating strategy is hectic and non-consistent. Not characteristic to typical SO2R.

1. He makes 31 S&P QSOs that are in the middle of his RUN on other band. That means seemingly true SO2R. It is not physically possible to find those QSOs in any other way than 2nd radio or packet. Out of those 5 are in the first day (all spotted within 30 minutes) and 26 are in the second day (7 of them not spotted). SO2R QSOs are heavily clustered to certain periods. In the second day there are no SO2R QSOs before 0627 and then suddenly active SO2R activity begins. 19 of the 26 QSOs are made within 6 hour period, then 3 hours with no SO2R QSOs and another period with no SO2R QSOs from 1707 to 2125. It is not logical as it does not correlate to the rate. Normally operator should be able to make more SO2R QSOs in the hours of lower rate. Why does he not make any from 0000 to 0600 when rates are low?? As we know it gets much more difficult to make SO2R QSOs when the rates pick up on the high bands in the morning. 20m is extremely crowded yet for example he makes 3 SO2R QSOs during the 11th hour on the 2nd day when the hourly rate is 183! All those minutes when those QSOs are made have also very high rate. Does not make any sense.

2. All the SO2R QSOs with not spotted 7 stations are during this suspicious 6 hour period in the second morning. They are all on high bands that are just opening up and where multipliers are easy to find and no cluster help needed. ALL the other SO2R QSOs are 100% spotted. That is too big of a coincidence.

3. It is also very strange that sometimes those SO2R QSOs have correct frequency and sometimes the 2nd radio seems to have no CAT. Why is this changing? When we look at data we see that ALL the SO2R QSOs where CAT is clearly missing are during the same 6 hour period again!! We conclude that he had 2nd operator operating the second station with no CAT during that period and making those QSOs for him as those QSOs must have been done with 2nd radio.

4. He makes 9 QSY QSOs during the contest and they are extremely clustered!! On the first day 3 of the 4 QSYs are on the same hour – 10th! On the 2nd day 4 of the 5 are during 2 hour period in the evening. That does not again make any sense because one consistent operator would use lower rate hours to do that more often as he clearly has a lot of multipliers calling in not worked on other bands always. The 10th hour on the first day has 184 rate!

5. It all makes thus perfect sense:

a. He has no proper SO2R system but just two stations (people claim to know/think this as well)

b. When 2nd operator operates the 2nd radio no CAT works

c. Outside this 6 hour period he goes and works spotted multipliers on other bands with 1st radio and that is why there is always correct frequency and those stations are 100% spotted!

d. During the rest of the period the operator is changed once in a while and that is why the operating pattern changes (e.g. no SO2R QSOs at all during the night and QSYs limited to very certain periods).

e. He probably has 2nd operator helping out with those QSYs as some of them are done in very high rate situation and would be very hard to pull off even with fully efficient SO2R system. Then again some are done clearly with 1st radio and they take a lot of time. For example the QSY to 2 other bands with CU2X is clearly done with 1st radio as frequencies are correct and RUN completely spots. Those 3 QSOs take him 4 minutes. How do explain then at the same time QSY with OY1CT on the first day when they have QSO on 21 MHz at 1057, he makes 4 (!) QSOs the next minute on 21 and another 3 at 1059 and also OY1CT on 14 MHz in the same minute!! And at 1100 he again makes 4 QSOs on 21 MHz!! Absolutely no disturbance to RUN what so ever. If he is so good and fluent with 2nd Radio then why he wastes so much time with CU2X?? And we have answer –according to CU2X it was Toni’s initiative to do those QSY’s. As CU2X was also new mult for 3V8BB he agreed although the 2nd operator was not in place on the 2nd radio and thus he had to quit his nice run on 7015 to make those QSYs with 1st radio. He returned to his RUN after that but as frequency changed from 7015 to 7016 then it is clear that indeed he used his 1st radio for those QSYs.

The obvious conclusion is that he is using definitely 2nd operator and with very high probability also packet cluster, at least when 2nd operator is not present. On top of that most of the people who know Hrane know that he is not physically able to operate 48h straight. From his log we see that there was only 1 (!) break of longer than 10 minutes and that is 13 minutes exactly at 0000 after 24h.

Data:
RATE SHEET
3V8BB
By band - By mode
QSOs (with dupes) - By time

QSYs:
1ST DAY
1018 9M6/N2BB, 21>14, NO CAT, HIGH RATE
1052 ZS4TX, 21>14, NO CAT, HIGH RATE
1057 OY1CT, 21>14, CAT, VERY HIGH RATE.
1943 TK5EP, 7>3.5, CAT, CLEARLY SLOWS DOWN (USES FIRST RADIO)

2ND DAY
1848 XV1X, 7>3.5, CAT, SLOWS DOWN
1932 9K2HN, 7>3.5, CAT, HIGH RATE
2002 CU2X, 7>3.5>1.8, CAT, SLOWS DOWN CONSIDERABLY, CU2X INITIATIVE! CHANGES RUN FREQ A BIT, USES CLEARLY FIRST RADIO
2049 4Z4KX 7>3.5, CAT, NOT MUCH SLOWDOWN
2310 OY3JE 7>3.5, CAT, SLOWS DOWN A BIT

SO2R QSOS (QSOS ON OTHER BANDS DURING RUN):
1ST DAY
1627 KP2M 14>21, CAT, HIGH RATE, SPOTTED
2020 EA9EU, 7>3.5, CAT, HIGH RATE, SPOTTED
2105 TA5ZA, 7>3.5, CAT, HIGH RATE, SPOTTED
2116 TF4M, 7>3.5, CAT, HIGH RATE, SPOTTED
2245 OY1CT, 3.5>7, CAT, HIGH RATE, SPOTTED

2ND DAY
0627 9G5ZZ, 1.8>14, CAT?, LOW RATE, NOT SPOTTED.
0657 UA0YAY, 14>21, NO CAT, HIGH RATE, NOT SPOTTED
0658 JS6RGY, 14>21, NO CAT, HIGH RATE, SPOTTED
0748 5X1NH, 7>14, CAT?, HIGH RATE, SPOTTED
0839 VK2BJ, 14>21, CAT, SLOWS DOWN, SPOTTED
0846 9M6XRO, 14>21, NO CAT, SLOWS A BIT, SPOTTED
0856 DX1DBT, 14>21, NO CAT, HIGH RATE, SPOTTED
0917 5H3EE, 14>21, NO CAT, HIGH RATE, SPOTTED
0924 T88CJ, 14>21, NO CAT, SLOWS A BIT, NOT SPOTTED
0953 IR9Y, 21>28, NO CAT, HIGH RATE, NOT SPOTTED
1001 RA6AX, 21>28, NO CAT, MEDIUM RATE, NOT SPOTTED
1003 YO2AOB, 21>28, NO CAT, HIGH RATE, NOT SPOTTED
1015 9J3A, 28>21, CAT?, LOW RATE, SPOTTED
1039 V47NT, 28>14, CAT?, LOW RATE, SPOTTED
1113 ZS4TX, 14>28, NO CAT, HIGH RATE, SPOTTED
1117 9J3A, 14>28, NO CAT, HIGH RATE, SPOTTED
1158 3X5A, 14>21, NO CAT, HIGH RATE, SPOTTED
1216 PZ5TT, 14>21, NO CAT, MEDIUM RATE, SPOTTED
1249 LP1H, 14>21, CAT!, HIGH RATE, NOT SPOTTED
1538 VE3EJ, 14>21, CAT, MEDIUM RATE, SPOTTED
1606 PY2NDX, 14>28, CAT?, HIGH RATE, SLOWS A BIT, SPOTTED
1613 CE3AA, 14>21, CAT, MEDIUM RATE, SPOTTED
1707 VP2MDG, 14>21, CAT, HIGH RATE, SLOWS DOWN A BIT, SPOTTED
2125 EA6BF, 3.5>1.8, CAT?, MEDIUM RATE, SPOTTED
2302, 3X5A 7>3.5, CAT, SLOWS DOWN, SPOTTED
2302 3X5A 7>1.8, CAT, SLOWS DOWN, SPOTTED
Here is analyze of the how people is working station using busted spots Busted Spots Worked
Here is analyze of the YU1LA Log

There is many other analyze available and its up to you to study and decide if they are right or not

Here is letter from Hrane YT1AD/3V8BB ads to CQ WW CC and radio-sport.net