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With little fanfare from the CQ WW Contest Committee, three top single operators in the 2009 CQ WW CW contest had observers on hand during their operations, all part of a new rule designed to crack down on cheating.
The on-site CQ WW checks hit three of the top four claimed scores in the CW test:
The observers were not local hams, but rather members of the CQ WW Contest Committee.
No observer was sent to the QTH of Andy Blank N2NT/V47NT in St. Kitts, who is currently second in claimed scores and was second in the 2008 CQ WW CW test.
Blank told radio-sport.net that he had "volunteered" to have an observer, but said logistics made it difficult.
"It is a remote location with no phone or internet."
From all indications, the role of the observers did not cause any on site issues in the Canary Islands, Maderia Islands and on Barbados.
"There were no any problems with Roger G3SXW," Komarov told radio-sport.net after returning to Russia.
"During the test he was a very strict inspector."
"W3ZZ was my observer and it was uneventful," Georgens W2SC told radio-sport.net.
"It was business as usual as if he (S50XX) was not there," said Nunes CT1BOH.
"During the contest he was around most of the time, looking at the log, taking notes, pictures, and collecting scores," Nunes added.
"Tom Georgens W2SC (8P5A) and his wife Kathleen were wonderful hosts and made the process run very smoothly," said Zimmerman W3ZZ.
(An email was also sent to RD3AF and his observer G3SXW, but neither Komarov nor Western responded.)
All three observers filed reports back to the CQ WW Contest Committee about their checks, whether those reviews raised any immediate questions about the three operators involved, there was no information forthcoming from the committee.)
Did it work? Some Contest Committee members weren't so sure, saying repeated visits might be necessary.
"What do you do if there is a different (setup) this year - amps taken out, cluster disconnected?" asked one member of the CQ WW CC.
Another unknown was how the work of the observers was paid for, in terms of travel to three island destinations, along with food and lodging.
Several CQ WW Committee members made clear to radio-sport.net that they knew the answer, but refused to provide the information for reasons that were unclear.
"You would have a very good story," said one.
To check out the latest top scores from the 2009 CQ WW CW contest, check out radio-sport.net's coverage at http://www.radio-sport.net/cqwwcw09_post2a.htm
After tightening their own rules on contest disqualifications over the past year, the CQ WW Contest Committee is proposing that major contests link their final results, so that a DQ in any major test will then sideline an operator in other contests as well.
The plans were revealed in documents posted on the IARU Region 1 website by the Deustcher Amateur Radio Club (DARC), part of the agenda for a February 2010 meeting of the IARU in Vienna.
"In order to bring pressure on the small number of entrants who seek to violate the rules, the CQ WW Contest Committee brings before you the following proposal," DARC quoted from a CQ WW CC letter/
"Disqualification of an entrant in any of the participating contests will lead to check-log status in all the other contests for a period of one year.
"One year ineligibility will commence with the public announcement publication of the entrants call sign by the contests organizers. The call sign and the reason for disqualification will be shared with all participating contests," says the CQ WW proposal.
The proactive attack on cheating continues what has been a dramatic public reversal for the CQ WW Contest Committee, which for years tried to keep cheating issues in the background.
That ended earlier in 2009, with five major DQ's in the 2008 CQ WW SSB contest, and the disqualification of the top single operator score from the 2008 CQ WW CW test.
In one way, the letter to other contest organizers is almost akin to a plea for help, a plea for cooperation to battle a tide of cheating in ham radio contesting.
"The recent increase in technological advances has made certification of top scoring entrants very difficult to adjudicate. Those entrants who choose to violate the rules are becoming more sophisticated," read the CQ WW note.
At this point it is unclear if other contests will join up with CQ WW or not.
"It is proposed to discuss disqualification practices within IARU Region 1," which comprises Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Northern Asia, says the DARC meeting agenda.
"DARC would like to know more about the disqualification practice of other contest organizers within the IARU Region 1 and therefore ask for any contributions concerning this topic," states the summary, which lists Lothar Wilke DL3TD as the contact.
