It would be easy for the rules' makers to look at the
technology available today, incorporate Skimmer,
for example, into the assisted category and go on.
I think in every class of operation for CW Contests
there must also be consideration of a much
larger scope of technology - total automation.
I know how I feel about the following scenario and what
rule I would put in place. How do you feel about it?
Scenario:
The single operator station has several rigs.
Mulit-operator has several per band
The station can be set up so one of them is
transmitting at all times or one per band for
Multi-Multi. So far so good. Many people are
able to do this now.
How do we feel about an automated system with the computers
making and logging the contacts with the operator never
actually never hearing the stations that are logged?
How will you like to hear a pileup of stations calling at 150 WPM
or more and automated stations working each other at that rate.
How about multiple transceivers scanning the bands stopping
on stations found, reading what they are sending with a
code reader, and then making and logging the contact for you?
I'm hoping for a logical ruling regarding Skimmer but also
to address full automation in CW Contesting.
The only way I can think of to prevent full automation in
CW Contesting is to have a rule against using a computer
or machine to copy code. I know this is going to upset
some people. Sorry but, in my opinion, the day a station
wins a CW Contest and the operator listed cannot copy
CW is the day CW Contesting will be ruined. .
Yes, technology moves forward. All of it is
interesting. The question is where the line is drawn
so that contesting remains a fun thing to do.
There are many modes and many contests running in
each mode over the course of a year. The RTTY
mode is one where the only way you can operate is to
have a machine copy what is being sent. It would
seem that full automation in RTTY would be a more
logical step than full automation in CW.
It is good to see a few additional people who actually work
contests express their views.
Stan, K5GO
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