CQ WW Contest Committee Update
Dear Contester,
In 2008 the CQ WW contest received the largest number of submitted logs in its history with over 10,000 entrants submitting electronic logs. The continued growth of the contest depends on many critical factors. Of particular note is the need for an honest effort by each entrant.
The committee is aware there are a few entrants who feel the need to win using any available method. Fortunately, these individuals are a mere handful of the contest’s total entries. During the 2008 contest, for example, we estimate that approximately 25 entrants, whose score would have placed in the top score box, required close scrutiny. This number is very small when compared against the logs received (0.25%). Unfortunately, those competitors choosing to violate the rules are vying for high profile positions in the contest and they receive high publicity. In 2008 the CQ WW Contest Committee brought new tools to bear on these suspected logs. We uncovered the use of two operators working contacts, multiple support operators filling a band map on the non-run band, and the use of a DX spotting system, all while claiming. For several multi-single competitors, we discovered times had been altered within the log to give the appearance of complying with the ten-minute rule.
You should be aware that the CQ WW Contest Committee receives input each year from outside the committee. These individuals provide a valuable service to the contest community by alerting us to possible problem logs. In certain cases, these individuals have performed their own analysis and are convinced they are right in their assessment. We take their analysis and study it for veracity. In other words, we accept their input as a flag but do not rely on outside analyses for a disqualification decision. We have established a rather high bar for disqualification. For example, submitting simple associations between a given QSO and a DX cluster spot alone is not adequate; such an association does not necessarily meet the statistical validity we require. Several critics of our methods, while very vocal, have been silent when it comes to providing “proof.”
In an effort to confirm the outstanding efforts of potential trophy winners, we have created a new rule involving the possibility of site inspections for the upcoming 2009 CQ WW contest. As you can imagine from a practical point of view, the new rule engages only the very top contenders in multiple categories. They could be visited by a CQ WW contest committee observer during the contest. By having an observer assigned to a station, we are not automatically implying that there has been illicit behavior by that entrant. Rather, it simply suggests that they are a word-class contender and we want to allay any questions other contenders might raise about the operation.
The full 2009 CQ WW rules can be found at cqww.com. We will issue more updates in the future. If you have any questions, please contact questions (at) cqww.com .
CQ WW Contest Committee