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After a re-score by the ARRL and a protest by the Spanish Radio Union (URE) over the 2009 IARU HF Championships, the battle over that contest is still not over, as the URE is now publicly accusing its German counterparts of "serious irregularities" in the winning entry of DA0HQ.
"The proofs of invalid contacts and other unethical practices are overwhelming," reads an initial URE review of the DA0HQ log.
The analysis accuses the Deustcher Amateur Radio Club (DARC) of "fraudulent practices" centered on the use of multiple calls by individual Germans who made QSO's with DA0HQ, what the URE labeled "log padding."
The Spanish cited Rule 3.3 of the General ARRL rules for contests, which says "An operator may not use more than one call sign from any given location during the contest period."
"This would become a scandal without precedents if nothing is done," said Salvador Domenech EA5DY. "Fair play and sportsmanship in radio contesting is at a very serious risk."
"If you don't have to obey the rules, what is the point of contesting anyway?" asked Pekka Kolehmainen EA8AH.
Their charge is that the log shows "a few dozen stations produced more than 2300 QSO's" for DA0HQ.
The URE produced two documents, which were sent to the ARRL and IARU officials, but have resulted in no response.
You can read through both of them on the internet:
The URE documents detail how one operator - registered to multiple calls - used those to repeatedly run the bands with DA0HQ.
For example, on page 11 of the first document, the URE charges that Hans-Juergen Doering DK8RE, used six different calls to work DA0HQ on 10-160 meters in both modes for 66 contacts.
"These different six callsigns are worked on each band/mode in a sequential" order, the URE review states, showing repeatedly that the QSO order was DK8RE, DL0MUE, DP5E, DF0NG, DF0MFL and DL0BRA.
"It is extremely improbable that these calls were managed by different operators or different stations that synchronized themselves with such a high degree of martial precision when changing bands."
A few pages earlier in that first report, there are emails with certain German hams who confirm that their additional call signs were used without their approval to make QSO's with DA0HQ as well.
The Spaniards are even accusing DA0HQ organizer Lothar Wilke DL3TD of using multiple calls to add extra contacts for DA0HQ. That can be found starting on page 3 of the second URE report.
Wilke was sent these materials by radio-sport.net, but had no reply.
That second report details dozens and dozens of similar situations, where one ham uses multiple calls under his name to give DA0HQ extra contacts, methodically moving from band to band and changing modes.
"It is against all contesting ethics," the URE document states, demanding that "these contacts should be removed from the scoring as they are against the spirit and the wording of the Rules."
For example, Salvador Domenech EA5DY contacted Michael Keller DL6IAK about QSO's made by DN1WT and DP7X, two calls registered to him.
The reply: "neither QSO with DN1WT or DP7X or DL6IAK in the IARU Championship is done by me or with my knowledge" wrote Keller, who later found out that another ham used those calls, evidently without his permission.
Another ham, Gunter DL5YYM, said he was not active - though his call appeared 7 times in the DA0HQ log.
The charges leveled by the URE against DA0HQ have spurred something else, a call for "Fair Play" by Spanish contesters, who argue that rules have been broken.
That's the reason for the "Fair Play" message on these t-shirts at EB8AH in WPX SSB.
"So far no official response has come although the proofs of rule-breaking QSOs are absolutely overwhelming," said Domenech EA5DY.
As it says on the left, you can read through both of the URE documents on the internet.
Download them and decide for yourself, are these rule violations? Or are they just examples of things that go on in all contests and should not draw any kind of rules sanction?
Originally, this was a fight over the ARRL adding back "unique" contacts to the DA0HQ log, which gave them the victory. But the URE now thinks it has found something even more important.
"Now the problem is not only the "unique" contacts," said Jose Femenia EA5DFV. "We are really concerned to the German team contest ethics."
Read through the two URE documents on the internet and send us your thoughts on this Spain v Germany contest battle.
Is it a big deal? Should the ARRL and IARU publicly address the findings of this URE review?
Send your opinions to radio-sport.net
