Actually what Randy was pointing out that ALL participants were bound by
the same rules. Boats must be X length, sails X Size, can use gps or
not. Maybe they have different classes for smaller or larger boats.
Nothing says that a captain has to use the largest sail out there or the
gps or using 10 crew instead of 15.
Can a boat be competitive if using smaller sails and half the crew?
Probably not.
Single op is single op. Isn't the internet just another tool in the
tool box? Packet, skimmer, RBN. bandscopes, prediction software,
logging software are other tools that people may or may not use. Can
one really claim Single OP unassisted today? Didn't we just bend the
rules to allow for computer logging and SCP aids? Propagation
prediction software, keyers, voice keyers and on and on.
Why was packet the dividing line?
We will never get to the point where all participants will be using the
rigs, tower height, number of elements etc or will we.
I understand the desire to "reward" people in contests but I think we
have gone overboard and that has allowed some dishonestly to creep in.
QRP...Nobody will know if I run 20 watts instead of the max limit. Same
with SS 90X percent of rigs are capable of 100 watts out but A power
allows for 150. There are rigs that will do 200 and we expect those ops
to turn the knob down but the 100w guys are not supposed to use an amp
and turn it down?
So where along the way we lost the keep it simple stupid philosophy........
Multi single was created so that a bunch of guys could share a single
rig. Now we have 20 rigs and 40 guys with a wild switching system,
supposedly that will only allow one signal transmitted at a time. Is
this really the intent of that class?
I am all for pushing the envelope but lets put those efforts into the
proper classes.
Mike W0MU
On 3/20/2013 5:39 AM, Paul O'Kane wrote:
On 19/03/2013 19:13, Randy Thompson K5ZD wrote:
I bet sailboat racing was a lot different before they had GPS.
Sometimes I don't make my points clearly.
In drawing a comparison between using the internet
while contesting, and using motors while sailboat
racing, I said
"no one, anywhere, uses another form of propulsion
in sailboat racing and claims to be sailing."
I have yet to see a GPS that might be considered a
form of propulsion, but perhaps I'm not aware of
the latest technology.
K5ZD has responsibility for the CQ WW survey. The
survey asks "Should the Single Operator and Single
Operator Assisted Categories be combined into one
Single Operator category?" To better assist in
determining what might happen, let's apply a
similar question to boat racing.
The question becomes "Should Sailboat Racing and
Powerboat Racing be combined into one category?"
We don't need much imagination to describe the
likely outcome. All entrants would have to be
powered to be competitive. However, this would
be intolerable for the sailboat enthusiasts. They
would refuse to enter combined races and, sooner
or later, would set up their own events.
So, what do we think might happen to CQ WW if all
single operators had to connect to the internet to
be competitive?
I suggest that, regardless of how the results
of this survey question are interpreted, it might
be prudent to retain the SO Unconnected category
in CQ WW. After all, who would survey powerboat
racers on an issue that concerned only sailboat
racers?
73,
Paul EI5DI
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