CQ-Contest
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [CQ-Contest] Are you kidding me (AC0C comments)

To: cq-contest@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Are you kidding me (AC0C comments)
From: Jeff Blaine <KeepWalking188@ac0c.com>
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 2020 18:11:35 -0600
List-post: <mailto:cq-contest@contesting.com>
In the RU and the CQ DX, there are seperate specific categories. Here's how the CQ WW DX contest lists it:

*2. QSO finding assistance:* The use of any technology or other source that provides call sign or multiplier identification of a signal to the operator, other than a single-channel RTTY decoder. This includes, but is not limited to, use of a wide-band multi-channel RTTY decoder, DX cluster, DX spotting web sites (e.g., DX Summit), local or remote call sign and frequency decoding technology (e.g., RTTY Skimmer or Reverse Beacon Network), or operating arrangements involving other individuals.

In normal human language, that means having your N1MM cluster connected, for example, so that the spots are populated in the program.  It also means having an eye on DX Summit, or using a program that feeds callsigns onto your bandscope as the Flex and NaP3 apps can.

But the great part about that contest is that I can turn all that stuff off.  And then I'm unassisted.  I can run to my heart's content and don't need to bother with spots.  I am at 1-2 skip zones removed from most of the competition (e.g. AA3B on the East coast) and so I wont' have near the reach into the EU mults that those guys will.  But if I'm lucky, I can make up for some of that on run volume especially as I may be able to hear guys from 7 & 6 land who may be too weak to work off the beams of guys in 1/2/3 land.  The guys running Assisted can chase those spots if they think that's where their advantage lies.  I won't be able to catch a lot of the weaker ones and they take a lot more time (relative to a more eastern QTH) to work because I'm 1500 miles west.  But with some luck by the end of the contest, some of those rare spots who don't want to run and fight the endless QRM can S&P and they may fine me - if so that's great!  Under this scenario, everyone is happy doing the thing that they do best.

I can't say much about the CW & SSB contests.  I'm a marginal RTTY contest op, a miserable CW contest op and I don't think I even have an operational mic here in the shack now.  But more choices lead to more of a draw for any contest, to my thinking. And combining categories, further limiting hours and tossing out tradition (hear me on the RTTY is now DIGITAL, Mr. ARRL guys) seems a bad thing for a hobby that is dominated by a bunch of old, set in their ways guys who for the most part respect tradition, play by the rules and look forward to seeing if they can beat the last year's score.  Of course I'm probably wrong on most of this. But I did not want the impression that the "see how great it is in CW WPX RTTY" argument to not stand absent the counter claim.

73/jeff/ac0c
alpha-charlie-zero-charlie
www.ac0c.com


On 11/21/20 3:19 PM, Douglas Zwiebel wrote:
Jeff notes that RTTY WPX has no separate unassisted category.

Perhaps (maybe?) the answer is in the rules.

Look at WPX Rule IX.2 (QSO alerting...) definition

SNIP
The use of any technology that provides CALLSIGN identification of a signal
to the operator (minor editing on my part).  On CW, even use of a CW coder
makes you assisted.
END SNIP

Well, I know there are a lot of really great CW ops out there, but I don't
think anybody can decode RY by listening to it (except maybe a CQ or a
string of RYs).

So it is impossible to NOT use technology to identify the callsign...hence,
no "unassisted" category (because every entrant MUST be assisted, per the
WPX definitions).

Does that pass the smell test?  I dunno.

de Doug KR2Q
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>