I can appreciate Phil's frustration. Those of us working on the RBN are
well aware that the differentiation between CQers and callers in RTTY
Skimmer Server is still a work in progress.
The way it works is quite different from, and more complex than CW
Skimmer, and involves a contests.ini file that attempts to define, with
probabilities, the transmission formats that will be used in a given
contest . RTTY Skimserv node operators consult with each other on how
best to design these files to accurately differentiate between CQers and
callers, but of course if they make mistakes or even forget to change
over for the weekend from the normal profile, an increased error rate
will result.
After a major RTTY contest not long ago, one of the participants pointed
out that onething confusing RTTY Skimserv may be the practice of
*ending* a CQ with "CQ". If a CQer does that, and doesn't close with a
carriage return, and a caller drops his call in right away, RTTY
Skimserv doesn't know whether to spot the CQer or the caller. I've
certainly seen this happen.
Another possible help - the CT1BOH Skimquality filters in AR Cluster V6
let you flag or filter out stations that change frequency each time they
are spotted. Obviously, a caller sliding up and down the band will be
flagged and (if you choose) not displayed. I think VE7CC has something
similar.
73, Pete N4ZR
Download the new N1MM Logger+ at
<http://N1MM.hamdocs.com>. Check
out the Reverse Beacon Network at
<http://reversebeacon.net>, now
spotting RTTY activity worldwide.
For spots, please use your favorite
"retail" DX cluster.
On 3/22/2016 1:31 PM, pcooper wrote:
Al AB2ZY and the group,
I have local access to a skimmer cluster as well as a normal cluster.
Both run simultaneously here in the shack 24/7. Looking at the skimmer cluster,
I repeatedly see spots for stations that are responding to a CQ call, rather
than calling CQ themselves.
I have tried using the skimmer cluster in a contest, and that simply clogs up
the bandmap with loads of spots that aren't calling CQ.
I know the skimmer clusters are supposed to be intelligent and only spots calls
who are sending CQ, but I see far more spots for those that aren't.
Where cluster access is allowed in a contest, I will use the normal cluster, as
I mostly use it to gauge whether another band is open, or worth trying. If
there is some juicy DX spotted, I may well try for them, depending on the
situation, but generally, if that juicy DX has just been spotted, it's usually
pointless trying, as loads of others will already be there.
This was evident during the BARTG contest at the weekend, as I came across
FP/KV1J calling CQ on 20m, so I tried to get in, but he had a mini pile-up
going. I did try a couple of times more, but then he got spotted, and I gave
up, as it just got silly, with callers shouting over each other and the
exchange in progress.
Happily came across him again later, and got in first shout. It was similar
with HP3/VY2SS.
That's just my own view of things.....
73 de Phil GU0SUP
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