Hi Eric:
Interesting ideas, but...
1. For the spots to be useful, I have to know where they
are coming from (basically who spotted them). I also find
the specific callsigns very valuable, since I know many of
the stations by callsign and how well they hear. Also,
since we now get spots from all over the world, this is
even more important.
By the same token, I need the full callsign. Have I worked
that PARTICULAR DL1?
2. Once per hour isn't nearly often enough to get updates.
The rare guys are going to get spotted more. A serious
multi-op or single op doesn't need spots for the loud guys
who are on one frequency for four hours. Those we'll find
on our own. It's the casual QRP guys that get on for
a few minutes after dinner we need the spots for. The
spots on the screen indicate relative age. The older spots
are less likely to be accurate unless refreshed.
The packet clusters (at least many of them) already
filter duplicate spots within some parameters. Yours
are way too stringent, however (IMHO). :-)
4. Shooting spots from the packet window can be
great fun. I've gotten sustained rates of 120/hour in
CW... :-) It doesn't last for hurs, but it can be fun. I agree
with the statement that the genie is out of the bottle...
packet isn't going away any time soon. As I said
before, I think almost anything that encourages
participation by the casual operators is a good thing.
I believe packet fits in that category. That doesn't mean
I advocate cheating (or combining assisted and
unassisted categories either!).
73,
Mark, KD4D
>
> 1. Unless there is a DXCC or WAZ equivalent for spotting, ditch the
> source(s) of the spot (this resolves any bogus entry problems).
>
> 2. If 500 spots come in for DX station ABC123 in any given "rolling" hour,
> the telnet/whatever "central station" software ONLY posts 1 spot for that
> station within that "rolling" hour, for ABC123 spots within +/- 1Khz (this
> solves any fractional frequency derivations by different TXRX's). In
> theory, no more than 48 spots would show during a 48 "hour" contest (or
> change it to four hour "rolling" hour periods, etc., which means only 12
> spots total spots showing during the whole contest). Most "run" stations
> are on the same freq for 4 or more hours (well, maybe not at this point of
> the Sunspot Cycle :-)
>
> 3. As someone said, the Packet Genie is already out of the bottle. It just
> needs to be better M-A-N-A-G-E-D at the point of input, retrieval &
> reducing the overall clutter and game playing (a kinder, gentler term for
> cheating).
>
> 4. IMHO, all stations deserve to be "spotted" to increase everyone's FQ
> ("Fun Quotient"), although from what I can see, the use of packet has taken
> contesting more toward an event of almost "scheduled QSOs" vs. good
> old-time operator skill(s) and "lady luck" ;-(
>
> 5. Welcome to the Brave New World of Contesting.
>
> 73...
>
> Rick, K6VVA
>
>
>
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