I agree with Rick - the definitions of "assisted" or "unassisted" should be in terms of communications methods used across your station's boundary circle. "Assisted" used to mean being helped by anot
IMHO, it's necessary to understand what a scoring system is intended to measure, before you can judge whether or not it is "fair", or even if it is accomplishing that purpose. I used to think that sc
There's been a lot of good discussion lately about various aspects of contesting. Scoring rules could be made more "fair". Certain operating practices could be ruled illegal and enforced. Certain cha
If each of your stations is going to also have a computer to run a logging program, you might want to consider a Flex-1500 as the transceiver, simply using the same computer as you use for the loggin
Ken, Thanks for an interesting look into another world! I think your analysis is right on target. It seems to me that there's another difference between our "Radiosport" activities and the worlds of
The "don't fix what's not broken" and the "we'll never find a way that's fair" observations have a lot of merit. Maybe we're working on an unsolvable or nonexistent problem. Still, a lot of us seem t
For another example of the changes in the publishing industry, take a look at http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/ This is a "magazine" for the model railroad hobby. But it's far more than an electron
Hi Bill et al, I also don't like the typical electronic version of most magazines. Usually all the publisher does is create an electronic copy of the physical version, and then force you to try to re
Well, they do take in revenue from ads and subscriptions. But costs are rising, e.g., for mailing, printing, etc. Ad revenue is also likely on a downward spiral, because print ads aren't worth what t
IMHO, it's all about software, especially the immaturity of the software. I've been using my Flex-3000 for contesting since 2009, and I've had a lot of fun with it. So my comments are from the perspe
Always happy to help stir... I'd like to see a different app for each type of activity, with a user interface designed specifically for that particular activity. Software is by its nature like that -
Hi Stu, I agree with you - I also would never go back to a non-SDR setup. Even with the annoying quirks of an infant technology, today's SDR rigs really are compelling once you give them a chance. Th
The primary reason for resistance to the ID rule seems to be that more frequent IDing would take time and therefore reduce your score. Perhaps it's worth thinking about how the rules might be structu
Hi Hans, Well, there's where we differ... Your model is that each side of a contest QSO is responsible for completely and accurately receiving and copying what the other station transmits, or should
-- Yes, but other scenarios are different: I send you K3FIV 59905. You log it correctly as K3FIV 59905. I however With the focus in scoring just on receiving information, there's no incentive for me
Cool! I just studied the new rules and the inclusion of the "recording" aspect gave me an idea for solving one of my long-term contesting problems - I often just can't type fast and accurately. My sc
On 05/17/2016 12:57 PM, Eric Gruff wrote: Here's my point: technical innovations are going to occur, and in just about every case, give those who acquire them and become proficient in them an "assist
The observations by and about young hams are right on target. I think it's part of a bigger picture though. There are plenty of not-so-young hams that fit the same description - they don't feel they
The recent NAQP conversations got me thinking... Just an observation...on the way that the term "spotting nets" has evolved over 30 years, and some ideas: Thirty years ago, "spotting nets" involved a
I suspect that the rule-makers had good intentions, but with unintended consequences. You might find another ham interested in contesting and invite him/her over to watch you work a contest. After an