On Sun, Oct 30, 2005 at 07:06:09PM -0400, Alan Leith wrote:
> 2. The useless spots on packet for Europeans. Packet was moving so fast,
> most of the time, I couldn't keep up with all the crappy spots. I, for
> one, didn't need to see a spot for an overpowered European contest station
> that was 40 over. I won't name the offenders who did the spotting but I
> think they should have known better.
>
> Al, VE1AL
(a) The reason that the packet cluster system exists is not to support
DXing rare stations - it was an invention that the YCCC used to improve
their contest scores by making sure that each YCCC station would
share information about every single workable stations out there,
rare or not. The cluster system has since spread and is used widely
by DXers, but the idea that the system is intended for spotting only
rare DX is a bit of revisionist history.
(b) A 40 over 9 European signal in VE1 surely will not be a 40 over 9
signal in Texas or California.
(c) Almost all cluster systems nowadays offer filters that let you
tailor the spots you see or don't see. If you don't care about
seeing spots for 9A or F or I or whatever, you can filter them out.
It's a much better solution to filter the information to your
requirements than to expect other people's behavior to change to
match your expectations.
(d) The contests would be better off without packet at all. One option
is always to turn it off and tune the radio instead.
--
Kenneth E. Harker WM5R
kenharker@kenharker.com
http://www.kenharker.com/
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
|