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7% of contesters self-spotted in ARRL DX SSB 2024
Self-spotting - allowed by the ARRL rules to all entrants in ARRL contests - was used more than twice as often in the SSB leg of the ARRL DX contest than in the CW leg. Several US/VE stations often spotted themselves using DX callsigns and visa versa, to work around geographically restrictive spotting filters. (See my analysis for CW at https://radiosport.net/2024arrlcw.html.
I gathered manual (non-reversebeacon) spots from 11 Telnet cluster nodes around the world over the 48-hour ARRL DX SSB 2024, deduped them, and counted self-spots to see how widely self-spotting has been adopted, 14 months after the ARRL allowed self-spotting by all entrants in ARRL contests.
(Note that almost all other major HF contest sponsors do not allow self-spotting and strictly forbid it!)
I also included as self-spots, the case where the spotting station(s) used a different call than the spotted call. This was not at all rare; many contesters used a special call for the contest but were, for example, logged into the cluster with their regular call. Other DXpedition teams seem to have specifically logged in to clusters and spotted using multiple members home calls - a wise choice for when the target audience may have geographic filters on what spots they receive.
342 stations self-spotted in ARRL DX SSB 2024, if I ignore stations that self-spotted themselves less than 10 times. There will be circa 5000 logs submitted for ARRL DX CW this year, so this is nearly 7% of all entrants who have adopted self-spotting.
A higher usage of self-spotting in SSB is not surprising, considering that most contesters now use Reversebeacon as the source of most CW spots. (Note that more casual participants in contests are less likely to be unaware of reversebeacon/skimmer spots and if operating assisted they are unlikely to be using a cluster node that even carries reversebeacon spots.)
Below is the list of the 342 stations who self-spotted 10 or more times, and the calls they self-spotted under. A couple of the calls were not necessarily contesters but were DXpeditions or POTA activations. The self-spot counts below are after some aggressive deduping - for example if a station spotted themselves on multiple frequencies in the same minute I only counted it as a single self-spot.
#self- spots call spotted using calls ----- ----- ------------------- 589 9A1A 9A1A 9A5W 542 CR6K CR6K CT1ILT 529 ZF1A ZF1A ZF1BB 483 W3LPL W3LPL 386 PJ2T K8ND PJ2T W0CG 383 K1TTT K1TTT 384 N5DX N5DX 379 9A7P 9A7P W3WM 360 EI7M G4PCS 358 ED7W EB7A ED7W 355 WX3B WX3B 343 K1LZ K1LZ 294 K3LR K3LR 256 K2AX K2AX 251 8P5A 8P5A W2SC 249 IP4X IK4ZGO IP4X W4/IP4X 246 J62K J68HZ 243 K9CT K9CT 239 HH2AA N2TTA 226 NN3W DL4RRA KL2A N4RV NN3W 220 EB5A EB5A 214 NY6DX NY6DX 212 IO6T IK6RYU 207 9A1P 9A1P 206 KB4DX W7WZ 205 OM2VL OM2VL 205 EA8RM EA8RM 200 NP2R NP2R W3MLJ WO5T 200 N2AA N2AA W2MKM 198 ND7K N6WIN 191 VY2TT VY2TT 191 HG5E HA1AH 186 PJ4G NQ1R PJ4NG 185 ED8M ED8M 180 W4RM W4RM 175 E7DX E77DX W7/E77DX 175 DM7XX DL3ON DM7XX 174 YU5R YU5R 174 OK5Z OK5Z 173 OH8L OG73X 171 N3RD N3RD 170 P40L P40L 169 YL7X YL7X 164 W4NF W4NF 164 RN9C RN9C 163 WP3C WP3C 163 TM6M F6KHM 162 N5ZO N5ZO 159 K3ND KU2C W2GD 157 VP5M VP5M 156 K4AB K4AB 156 ED3Z EA3DZ 154 VE9AA VE9AA 151 AD4EB AD4EB 150 LP1H LP1H 149 OK7O OK7O 141 AA1K AA1K 140 9A5Y 9A5Y 136 HG6N HA6DX HG6N 134 LY4A LY4A 126 M5S G4IRN 123 SJ2W SJ2W SM2WMV 123 LY5W LY5W 121 K8AZ K8AZ 120 K3PA K3PA 120 C4W 5B4WN 119 UW5Y US2YW 117 V31XX V31XX 116 ED8W ED8W 114 PT5J PP5JR 114 NE3F NE3F 114 KP2B KP2B 113 MW4R MW4R 111 N1UR AC1U 111 HA5JI HA5JI 111 HA3NU HA3NU 110 K7RL K7RL 107 N2IC N2IC 107 KP4JA KP4JA 107 FM5KC FM5KC 104 S53M S53M 103 JH8YOH JR8VSE 101 V55Y DK2WH V51WH V55Y 101 KH6AQ KH6AQ 100 9A3XV 9A3XV 98 WA1Z WA1Z 98 AA3B DL/AA3B 97 ZM4T ZM4T 95 DM0A DK3DM DM0A 93 K2PO K2PO 92 S55OO S55OO 91 SP8R SP8R 88 RW1F RU1M 88 E7CW E74O E79AA E7CW 88 5K4X KC1XX-HK4 82 KL7SB KI6RRN/KL7 81 WY3A WY3A 80 C6ANM C6ANM 77 ZB2BU ZB2BU 77 P3X UT4UXW 77 NP4Z NP4Z 75 WF7T WF7T 74 N1BA N1BA 74 GM5G GM5G 74 EC6DX EC6DX 73 K5ZD K5ZD 70 YU7RCI YU7RPX 70 6Y1A N0GJW 69 OG6N OH6NIO 69 K1XM K1XM 66 K6LL K6LL 63 PJ5/SP9FIH PJ5/SP9FIH 62 NS0R NS0R 62 N3AD N3AD 61 S53O S53O 59 N9RV N9RV 59 HA1TJ HA1TJ 58 UA9CDC UA9CDC 58 RL3A RL3A 58 PY2PLL PY2PLL 58 LZ8E LZ8E 57 EU4E EU4E 56 W1GD W1GD 56 S53F S53F 55 W6PH W6PH 55 IZ8FCA IZ8OLR 55 CT2HOV CT1BGC 54 VE5MX VE5MX 54 PJ7EE PJ7EE 54 N5TJ N5TJ 54 N2NT KI7WX 54 II4FGM II4FGM 53 VA2WA VA2WDQ VE2EKA 53 SN5N SN5N 53 G3Q G3RXQ 52 YT1X YT1X 52 OM0R OM3GI 52 LZ5R LZ5R 52 IT9AUG IT9AUG 51 OK6Y OK6Y 51 K5TR K5TR 51 K1RX K1RX 51 IT9RBW IT9RBW 51 II9P IT9EQO 50 S52WW S52WW S59EIJ 50 OM7M OM7M 50 N2RC N2RC 49 KA6BIM K6SEA 48 ND4Y ND4Y 47 ED5R EA5Z 46 W2CG W2CG 46 SV3RPQ SV3RPQ 46 II2S IZ2FOS 45 W2FU W2FU 44 WK1O WK1O 44 IV3YYK IV3YYK 43 NR3X N4YDU 43 KC3UII KC3UII 42 OG7Z DL6MHW 42 K3IE K3IE 41 NF3R NF3R 41 DK8MM DF0TX DK8MM 40 YP8T YP8T 40 W1JQ W1JQ 40 S50K S50E 40 RW7K RW7K 40 KY7M NA7TB 39 RI0SP RD1A/MM 39 LZ2PL LZ2PL 39 DJ5AN WA1TT 38 W8FJ W8FJ 38 W7RM N6TR 38 LY1FW LY1FW 38 ED3X EA3QP 38 AB2E AB2E 37 S53K S53K 37 KQ3F KC3WX 37 DR4A DR4A 37 DL3ON DL3ON 36 K8LX K8LX 36 IB9T IU3BTY 36 H40WA NE9U 35 YO9HP YO9HP 35 W5DX W1HQ 35 JM1NKT JM1NKT 35 F4DSK F4DSK W3/F4DSK 34 K4RO K4RO 34 DM100FK DK0FWS DL0MOL DL1BWU 33 PY2MP PY2MP 33 LU1DX LU1DX 33 3W9A KU1CW 32 UR2Y UR2Y 32 S52NR S53LG 32 LZ1NK LZ1NK 32 DL7ON DL7ON 32 AL2F AL2F 32 4X6FR 4X6FR 31 VP9I N1SV 31 TO7K FR8UA 31 TO5M I8QLS 31 KP4AA KP4AA 31 K7RI K7RI 31 JG1LFR JG1LFR 31 7Q6M K3MYI W3HAC 30 II4SUCC IK4UXA 29 PY5AMF PY5AMF 29 DK2A DC8YZ 28 SP9XCN SP9XCN 28 K1KI K1KI 28 II2C IK2JUB 28 F4GGQ F4GWG F6EKS 28 EH2ESF EA5FHC EC5AJU 28 CT9ABN CT9ABN 27 XU7GNY DL7BO 27 VA3WB VA3WB 27 PR5K PY5QW 27 FY5KE FY5KE 27 E74A E74A 27 AG3I AG3I 26 YQ6A YQ6A 26 YO4NF YO4NF 26 W4LT W4LT 26 PY1AX PY1AX 26 PT1K PP1KV 26 K3ZA K3ZA 26 HA5PP HA5PP 26 DN4DI DC4DI 25 TM1K F5REH 25 C6ABJ C6ABJ 24 W1KM W1KM 24 N7RQ K8IA 24 N4OX N4OX 24 MW5B G3WVG 24 KP2M KP2M 24 DK1RU EA5IQX 23 N1RR N1RR 23 KE8HBV KE8HBV 23 EC5K EC5K 22 W1NT W1NT 22 VY1AAA VY1AAA 22 K1VR W1UE 22 DR4W DL4LAM DR4W 21 YL2VW YL2VW 21 KA1ZD KA1ZD 21 K1KP K1KP 21 JH1EAQ JH1EAQ 20 V3O V3O 20 N1PGA N1PGA 20 M3AWD M3AWD 20 KF2O KF2O 20 KD9MS KD9MS 20 CT3KN CT1JPK 19 YO5LD YO5LD 19 PS2M PY2OX 19 OZ1ADL OZ1ADL 18 SP7Y SP7Y 18 J88IH VP2EIH 18 IZ0FTS/P IQ3QC 18 IN3XSV IN3RMC 18 ED7O EC5AN 17 W1PY W1PY 17 LZ3ZZ LZ3ZZ 17 KS1J KS1J 17 JE1LFX JE1LFX 17 IK3ZYM IK3ZYM 17 CT2IMG CT2IMG 16 VE3TM VE3TM 16 S53D S57SU 16 PA4WM PA6OR 16 OG1F OH1F 16 N2FT N2FT 16 N1MM N1MM 16 LY9A LY9A 16 JA6WFM JA6WFM 16 EF5T EA5JDN 16 BD1IIJ BD1IIJ 15 V31DJ W0CP 15 SN7O SP7IVO 15 RZ1OA UA1OLM 15 OH8K OH8KXK 15 NN3RP NN3RP 15 K9NW K9NW 15 K0YR K0YR 15 EA8CH EA8DKJ 15 AA7A NA7TB 14 YT2RX YU3A 14 YL2GD YL2GD 14 WV4P WV4P 14 UA2FZ UA2FZ 14 R4RN R4RN 14 NN1C NN1C 14 N2ZN N2ZN 14 M1T M0KYB 14 HA6KG HA6KG 14 DU3T DU3T 14 DJ4MH DJ4MH 13 W7GES W7GES 13 UG5F UG5F 13 PY4LH PY4LH 13 PT2AW PT2AW 13 PA3AAV PA3AAV 13 OM3CW OM3CW 13 OL8R OK1FCJ 13 K0AD K0AD 13 II4M IK4VET 13 HK3LRB HK3EA 13 EE3O EA3O 13 E70T E70T 12 ZW2A ZW2A 12 YT3X YT3X 12 WC1M WC1M 12 W3LL W3LL 12 W1N KC2POL 12 UY5LW VE1ANF 12 OL5T OL5T 12 OK2BFN OK2BFN 12 NU3O N2BA 12 LZ146GO LZ1VKD 12 K1MT K1MT 12 HG5A HG5A 12 DM88YLF DK0FWS 12 CB1B CE1KV 12 BI4SSB BI4SSB 12 AJ9C AJ9C 12 9A3K 9A3K 12 7X2GK 7X2BDX 11 UA4CNJ RW4CYL 11 RW3RN RW3RN 11 RK3AW/P RN3F 11 RC7LX/P RX6LGR 11 OM3RM OM3RM 11 OK8NM OM1BCO 11 OK5H OK5H 11 JR2GRX JR2GRX 11 JA3YBK R0MM 11 IZ2GRG IZ2GRG 11 IU3OJA IQ3QC 11 IO3X IV3JCC 11 HA8LNN HA8LNN 11 EA2AK/P EA2CE 11 A62A/P DM4AO
A compressed archive of the raw telnet cluster traffic from 11 worldwide cluster nodes throughout the contest is available at this link.