Jerome,
How much time have you spent with a top CW contest operator during a contest,
or at an M/M CW operation?
Yes--the ability to copy and type at the same time is critical...but above all
is the ability to copy, quickly, the first time. The difference between the
top stations/ops and also-rans is the very best copy the call right, through
the noise or QSB, the first time; the rest have to ask, "QRZ?"
In days gone by being able to copy and type was actually considered a virtue
and a skill in and of itself. So whether it's copying "ghost signals" on 80
meters that almost blend with the white noise or pick out a call, accurately
and the first time, from the babble of a pile up, it's skill and that's where
it happens.
As for the 10KW ERP, it still doesn't matter if you can't copy them when they
call. I still recall, with an embarrassed smile, an HA station posting, "Deaf
like hell" about me when I was on 80 meters. Then again, I may have been a lot
louder there than he was at my end; despite the theory that good antennas
should improve sent and received signals equally, the reality seems somewhat in
favor of the transmitted signal.
So as a competitve CW contest op (at K5GO), I don't take offense at what you
said, but I don't agree with you. Sure, Skimmer is cool, and often enough like
OPS (other peoples' spots) it can be inaccurate. On top of that, for a top
score the trick is to squeeze mulitplier contacts in without breaking the run,
and too great a reliance on Skimmer can actually work against that.
Art, KØRO
--- On Tue, 5/25/10, jerome schatten <romers@shaw.ca> wrote:
From: jerome schatten <romers@shaw.ca>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] wither CW?
To: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Tuesday, May 25, 2010, 10:53 AM
CW contesting has devolved to automaton vs. automaton. The most nimble
computer operator with the highest level of automation driving the key
jack (which drives 10kw erp) wins. Feh!
An easy fix would be to disallow any electronic devices for sending,
receiving or logging and controlling during CW contests.
Hand key or bug/sideswiper/cootiekey/etc.only. The sender is the
logger.
Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear... when the
most skilled CW op won the contest!
Jerome - VA7VV
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