Collins, Graham <CollinG@navcanada.ca> wrote:
"Seems to me that ASSISTED or NOT-ASSISTED is splitting hairs - some choose to
use a tool and others not, much the same as some choose to log on a computer
and others on paper. Perhaps there needs to be categories for "COMPUTER LOGGED"
and another for "PAPER LOGGED"; after all, those that choose to log on a
computer have an unfair advantage over those that choose to log on paper."
I agree. An example of hair splitting centers around the use of panadapters and
bandscopes. If you have a panadapter showing 180 kHz of spectrum in real time
without Skimmer, it's deemed Unassisted. If Skimmer is turned on, it's
Assisted. Regardless of what the rules say, I personally think a panadapter
(with or without Skimmer) is a technological assist to the operator and
provides quite an advantage over manual tuning. Seeing a new signal and
clicking on it is a lot faster and easier than turning a VFO dial blind.
Maybe what could be done is to have two categories: Single Operator, where all
tools such as Skimmer, clusters, panadapters, etc. are permitted; and Single
Operator Traditional Radio, where manual VFO tuning is required and human,
visual band display, internet, and packet assistance are all prohibited.
73 Jim K6OK
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
|