SCP is no worse than skimmers or packet.
Once you've opened those barrels of worms, you've already cheated
yourself from skills (1) once learned, twice forgotten; (2) that you were
never taught; (3) that measure your proficiency in radio communications -
assuming that is/was a laudable goal in what we once purported to do.
Absent these skills, radio contesting has sadly morphed into computer games
upon which my 4 year-old grandson can probably beat most of us.
For the under-signed, after 60 years of 'what was once serious contesting' -
I'm now forced to admit that the thrill is gone, and I'm limiting myself to
one contest/year; significantly the CQ WW CW. See you in November.
Other than that, forget about it.............
Vy 73
Jim Neiger N6TJ
-----Original Message-----
From: jpescatore--- via CQ-Contest
Sent: Friday, July 31, 2015 4:02 AM
To: CQ-Contest@CONTESTING.COM
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] LY9W ? - time to ban SCP?
This really is a good topic for one of those Contest Sponsor surveys of the
contesting community.
SCP, history files, zone autofill, auto dupe checking, even auto beam
heading are all "automated operating aids" that replaced either human skills
or hard copy operating aids because the technology enabled integrating it
into contest logging software.
Contest "octopusses" were once going to be the end of contesting, but now
SO2R boxes are commonly accepted use of technology to enable an equipped
operator to vastly out-perform an unequipped operator.
The flip side of technology is that the contest sponsors get to use it too -
we are now routinely judged on accuracy and the bar for acceptable accuracy
is way higher than it was in the paper logging days. It is also way more fun
to make 4200 hundred "technology assisted" contacts with a small number of
dupes across 48 hours than it was to make 2500 with lots of dupes using
paper and pen.
Genies do get put back in bottles, as in rules against certain types of swim
suits or car modifications in competitive swimming and car racing. It is up
to the contest sponsors and the overall sense of the competitors to decide,
there are not absolutes.
Personally, I'd fill out the survey saying SCP and history files should only
be used in an assisted category and would actually like to see zone autofill
fit in that category. Autofill based on the current contest log, like dupe
checking and during contest exchange fill and comparison, I could see being
allowed with being considered assistance.
73 John K3TN
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