Getting very serious with ham radio contests

Every major sport has at some time or another suffered from cheating.

Whether it be athletes using illegal substances to enhance performance, taking a risk that the officials won’t notice that rules are being flouted or just falsifying the score-sheet.

So it should come as no surprise that amateur radio contests can be subject to cheating too.

The issue is gaining greater publicity through the disqualifications to be handed out by the CQ World Wide Contest Committee.

It has introduced a Yellow card and a Red card system, just like a soccer referee. Under the CQ World Wide Contest rules all entrants agree that the use of the card system and other decisions of the Contest Committee are official
and final.

For a low level indiscretion a Yellow card will be issued making the entrant ineligible for an award. But two Yellow cards in three consecutive contests means a two year ban.

For higher level matters, a Red card means the submitted log is rejected or no score recorded, the entrant or operator is banned for 12 months and listed at the end of the contest results for all to see. Get two Red cards and there is a three year ban.

Cards are issued for breaches of contest rules or the operating requirements of a country, unsportsmanlike conduct such as using non-amateur radio means to pre-arrange contacts contrary to the rules, or taking credit for excessive unverifiable QSOs or multipliers.

Hopefully this innovation will discourage those who don’t abide by the rules or are outright cheats.

Jim Linton VK3PC

Wireless Institute of Australia