I think you are overlooking a big difference between CW & SSB contests -
the number of channels available. To the extent that self spotting would
enable more "2nd tier" contesters to hold frequencies for longer
periods, that would reduce the number of frequencies available for the
lower tiers.
Lower sunspot numbers will make this worse on the high bands.
I am neither for nor against the proposal, but it could have the above,
probably unintended consequence. To the extent that lower tier contest
stations are prevented from the fun of CQing, it could harm SSB contesting.
73,
Tom
On 10/28/2015 9:35 AM, Maarten van Rossum wrote:
If you send your call in CW you get a spot right away. It is virtually the
same as self spotting. So, why not allow self spotting for SSB?
The first thing I think we must ask ourselves is what the downsides are of
allowing self spotting?
- The DX cluster essentially is for spotting DX. But what is the definition
of DX? What "DX" means to you might be very different then what "DX" means
to me. If I look at the cluster right now it seems to me that it no longer
is a proper "DX" cluster. If self spotting was allowed, will it still be a
DX cluster? Not really but that could be overcome by setting certain
filters, for instance blocking self spots.
- Could the huge amount of self spots overload the system? I don't think
so. The RBN doesn't overload or does it? Again, you can set filters to
limit the amount of spots that you receive.
- Would their be a certain group of contesters that would benefit more from
self spotting then others? I think it is rather the opposite. Station who
have benefited from "cheerleaders" in the past would no longer have the
advantage.
Am I overlooking something? Let's hear it.
I'm not an expert contester and most ops on this reflector have more years
of contesting under their belts then I am old. But that doesn't necessarily
have to be a bad thing.
73, Maarten PD2R
(op @ PI4DX)
2015-10-28 4:06 GMT+01:00 Stan Stockton <wa5rtg@gmail.com>:
There should be a rule allowing the software to automatically submit a
self spot after you have logged perhaps three QSOs on the same frequency -
same rule for everyone. After all, when you call CQ on CW you are, in
effect, self spotting.
There is a huge advantage in being spotted and, on SSB, there is a huge
difference in the number of spots for different stations giving advantage
to those who are spotted frequently and quickly after a frequency change.
73... Stan, K5GO
On Oct 26, 2015, at 9:29 PM, Randy Thompson K5ZD <k5zd@charter.net>
wrote:
I am not sure where the prohibition against asking to be spotted came
from.
Perhaps it is time to remove that from the rules? Or go even one step
more
and allow self-spotting.
We sure noticed the lack of rate until after a spot here at PJ4Q this
weekend.
Randy, K5ZD
-----Original Message-----
From: CQ-Contest [mailto:cq-contest-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf
Of
Peter Dougherty (W2IRT)
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2015 1:15 AM
To: cq-contest@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] When do we spot? Should it be required?
As a stateside op who likes to run I'm often frustrated by the lack of
spots generated by DX stations for guys on this side. I don't like the
rule about being unable to ask to be spotted but I'll never violate it.
What I *might* say to a caller, if I'm CQing to generally dead air, is
"thanks for the call, it was gettin' pretty lonely here." Once in a very
long while someone will give me a sympathy spot. And if not, I'll just
try to find a new fishing hole. If it were permitted to ask for spots I
bet the average score amongst mid-sized stations would go up by a
million
or two per contest due to longer runs.
When it comes to me spotting I have the "spot all S&P QSOs" feature
turned on in N1MM. This spots any QSO that didn't appear in my bandmap
that I enter manually. I doesn't re-spot posted calls, however. I wish
that feature was set to on by default or would stay on once engaged but
that's a policy decision by Tom and his crew.
I try to remember to spot my fellow FRCers when I run across them, and
I'm extremely grateful when one spots me in return, but at the end of
the
day, it seems that EU and Caribbean stations will be spotted far more
than US stations. In my own case, I was spotted 15 times during CQWW but
a quick search of a few of the Caribbean powerhouses with well over 100
spots. It's no wonder they never run out of callers!
---------------------------------------------
GO FRC!
Peter, W2IRT
www.facebook.com/W2IRT
-----Original Message-----
From: CQ-Contest [mailto:cq-contest-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf
Of
Edward Sawyer
Sent: Monday, October 26, 2015 2:23 PM
To: cq-contest@contesting.com
Subject: [CQ-Contest] When do we spot? Should it be required?
Taking a look at my spots this morning. It is very surprisng when you
are spotted and when you are not spotted according to DX Summit. Are
there other locations where spots exist on SSB that is not shown here?
I
had a number of runs during the contest and was never spotted according
to DX Summit. A nice JA run on 15M and very loud and fast 20M run to EU
on Sunday afternoon, neither of these ever appear despite producing
probably 400+ Qs in the log over a few hours.
With CW, the RBN system is an effiient harvester of signals that
basically instantly populates the band map with spots.
There is no such system on SSB.
The major contests call asking to be spotted a violation. Every contest,
I either hear or am asked a few times regardless. I am very fine with
this being considered unsportsmanlike. However, with the increasing
number of contesters having a contest experience that is nothing more
than clicking on spots, its becoming equally unfair for stations to be
spotted in very disproportionate frequencies.
I put this question to the contest sponsors and the assisted and
multi-op
contest community: What is your responsibilty to make spots of stations?
Are you just a harvester? Or do you contribute to the process? It
would
seem to be in everyone's interest that doesn't "spin the dial" much, or
at all, anymore to make sure that the interaction is bi-lateral.
Should a minimum spotting requirement be added? We have a minimum ID
requirement in CQ major contests? How about a minimum spotting
submission requirement for those using the system?
I personally like the unassisted experience. But being a "ghost"
in the bandmap world doesn't help anyone in contesting anymore.
73
Ed N1UR
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