K5ZD Announcements, Log checking

Certificates and Late Logs

After many years of effort and donations by individuals, the cost of producing and mailing certificates is no longer viable. As a result, CQ magazine has decided they will no longer provide paper certificates. All entries that were received by the log deadline may download their own certificate in electronic form from the score database on the cqww.com web site. It is easy to use this file to print your own certificate.

Late Logs

We have received a number of emails from participants asking why the certificate link does not appear for their call in the scores. This is because their entry was received after the 5 day deadline. Logs submitted after the deadline are scored and included in the results, but they are not eligible for awards and are not included in the score records.

Each log that is submitted replaces any previous log. Even if your original log was submitted on time, when you send a second log after the deadline, the new log will be used and will be marked as being late.

The goal of this rule is to encourage everyone to submit their log immediately after the contest. Do not spend time trying to fix errors or check QSL cards and then submit a cleaner log.  The purpose of the contest is to judge your accuracy during the contest – not after.

If you need an extension of the deadline, you can request it (before the deadline) at: https://cqww.com/contact

If you need to make changes to your log information after the deadline, send them at: https://cqww.com/contact. and, if appropriate, we will correct the log for you without changing the submission date.

In CQ WW SSB 2015, we received a total of 8,254 logs.  There were 25 requests for extension of the deadline (all granted).  There were 621 logs received after the deadline and considered as late (7.5%).

K5ZD Announcements

K5ZD Stepping Down as Director of CQ WW Contest

Randy Thompson K5ZD has announced his intention to step down as Director of the CQ WW Contest as soon as a replacement can be found. The decision was due to increasing responsibilities in his professional career. The Director of the CQ WW Contest is responsible for appointing the members of the CQ WW Contest Committee and organizing their work to develop the rules, log checking, and production of the contest results.

Thompson became Director of the CQ WPX Contest in 2008 where he served through the 2012 contest. He was appointed as Director of CQ WW in September 2012. Under his leadership, the CQ WPX and CQ WW contests have improved the log checking process and enforcement actions against rule violations. The Web sites for the two contests were enhanced to include a historical database of all time scores, records, results, and log submission tools.

According to Thompson, “I have enjoyed working on the CQ contests and hope to stay involved with the web sites and log checking. The demands of a new job are preventing me from dedicating the time that the role deserves. With WPX, WW, and WRTC2014 activities over the past 8 years, I am ready for a break. I am very proud of the work the Committee has done in enforcing the rules and feel that contesting results are now more accurate than ever. I look forward to working with the new Director.”

Randy Thompson, K5ZD, has been licensed and active in contesting since 1973 at age 13. He is an accomplished contester, having multiple single-operator wins in the ARRL Sweepstakes, CQ World Wide DX Contest, and the CQ WPX Contest, among others. Randy is a past editor of the “National Contest Journal” (a post he has held three separate times) and a co-founder of the eHam.net website. He is a member of the CQ Magazine Contest Hall of Fame. He has competed in five World Radiosport Team Championships and was a member of the organizing committee for WRTC2014. When not in front of a radio, Randy is in product management for a technology company involved in the Intenet of Things (IoT).

A description of the CQ WW Director role is listed below. Anyone interested in being considered for the job should apply at: https://cqww.com/contact. Questions may also be directed to CQ Amateur Radio publisher Dick Ross K2MGA at k2mga@cq-amateur-radio.com.

Job Description: CQ WW Director

The Director of the CQ WW DX Contest is responsible for the operation and results of the CQ WW DX Contest. The ideal candidate will be passionate about the CQ WW, a respected member of the contest community, and have demonstrated proficiency in contesting.

Responsibilities:

  • Administration
    • Recruit volunteers with necessary skills to assist with the administration and operation of the contest
    • Appoint members to the CQ WW Contest Committee
    • Appoint leaders of internal working groups
    • Consult with CQWWCC to set policies, define rule changes
    • Manage the log checking process
    • Work with WWROF and others to fund needed infrastructure
    • Coordinate with CQ Magazine management and editorial staff
    • Uphold the ethical standards of the competition
  • Communication
    • Serve as external spokesperson for the CQ WW Contest Committee
    • Manage email requests to questions@cwww.com (e.g., did you get my log? where is my plaque? rules questions? log formatting?)
    • Communicate the policies and decisions of the CQWWCC to entrants
    • Distribute announcements to the contest community by blog post and email
    • Make presentations about the CQ WW DX Contest (club meetings, webinars)
    • Review and provide content for the cqww.com web site
  • Results
    • Publish raw scores
    • Notify entrants of disqualifications or category changes
    • Contest results article for each mode
    • Assemble final results package for CQ
  • Other:
    • Presentation of CQ Contest Hall of Fame awards at Dayton
    • Conduct participant surveys

Required Skills:

  • Organizational and leadership ability to work with a global team of volunteers
  • Attention to detail and ability to work with data
  • Connection with the international contest community
  • Strong writing and presentation skills in English
  • Ability to devote 10+ hours per week between September and March each year to answer questions, manage the log checking, and compile the results, plus additional time during the rest of the year to promote the contest

 

K5ZD Commentary

2015 CQ WW Survey Results – part 2

The CQ WW Contest Committee conducted a survey of contesters from September 2 to 29, 2015.  Invitations were sent to everyone who had submitted a log in the 2014 CQ WW SSB and CW events.  Public invitation to take the survey was also made on the cq-contest email reflector.

We received 5,117 responses from contest operators around the world (after removing a few duplicate responses).  See the part 1 for a look at who answered the survey. This blog post will present the results of the questions about possible rule changes.

Q: Should the Single Operator and Single Operator Assisted categories be combined into one Single Operator category?

(The combined Single Operator category would allow ALL entrants to use spotting networks, DX cluster, packet, reverse beacon network, telnet, and DX Skimmer to help the operator find contacts.) *

Many national and regional contests have combined single operators into one category that permits use of the DX Cluster. There is often confusion by new contesters over the distinction between the “non-assisted” and “assisted” categories.  The CQ WW Contest Committee spends a large number of hours each year trying to confirm entries are in the correct category.

The overall majority of respondents support continuing to have two separate categories. This is similar to the response in 2013 when this same question was asked.  (The 2013 survey did not provide an option for no opinion.)

2015 2013
Yes 2117 (41.4%) 2315 (44.9%)
No 2551 (49.8%) 2839 (55.1%)
No opinion 449 (8.7%) n/a
Total 4668 5154

Continue reading “2015 CQ WW Survey Results – part 2” →