I've come around to the view that there should be a single-op category in
which the use of CW Skimmer and similar wide-band, multi-stream CW decoders
is not permitted. That way both the crowd that loves new technology and
the one that wants to maintain the current paradigm for single-opping will
have places at the table.
What mustn't happen, in my opinion, is the banning of CW Skimmer. All the
analogies to other sports fall down because there would be no practical way
to detect its use, and because the potential advantage conferred is so
great. People who want to use it should be able to.
It strikes me that depending on the contest, the "market" may operate in
different ways. For example, will CW Sweepstakes this fall be won by a
Skimmer-equipped station or by one in the traditional category? I don't
think any of us remember the drudgery of SS Sundays with particular
fondness, and the idea of working an extra 100 or so QSOs at that time
could be persuasive. Who will be the first single-op to break 1600 QSOs in
CWSS?
73, Pete N4ZR
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