Guy Molinari wrote:
> Bob,
> SO2R is about a human being developing the skills to decode two
> audio streams. One in each ear. It is hard to learn and if done
> incorrectly will actually reduce your score. This is proven fact and
> not an opinion.
>
> Skimmer can simultaneously decode dozens and perhaps hundreds of streams
> outside the range of human hearing and over a 96 khz swath of
> spectrum. I suspect Alex is working on parallelizing this further and
> perfecting this technology. He is a very capable guy and there is no
> doubt in my mind that he will succeed.
>
> For those of us who view contesting as a sport, this understanding is
> the heart and soul of the debate.
Guy,
I understand that SO2R is difficult to learn and even more difficult to
master. I have not yet begun on that path (as my scores in recent
contests will show!), though I hope to give such a challenge a try some
day.
I suspect that successful integration of Skimmer into one's contest
operation is going to have a learning curve, too. Granted, nowhere near
as steep, but still a curve. Didn't we see testimony on this list that
Skimmer wasn't all sunshine and roses? As another poster noted,
successfully making the Q has yet to be done; you have to tune,
identify, and actually bust through the QRN and QRM to make the Q.
It's important to note that I'm not really advocating anything, here.
Maybe Skimmer use makes one Assisted. Maybe not. All I'm saying is
that it's an interesting piece of technology that has, IMO, twisted the
knickers of too many people. Competitors who are looking for the
latest, most cutting-edge technical advantage will use whatever they can
get to give them a perceived 'edge', whether that's Skimmer or automatic
keying or automated transmitting setups. [*]
The rest of us, like me, will continue to spin their SO1R knobs and use
their ears, getting pounded in the score-box by both SO2R ops and
Skimmer ops.
Cheers,
Bob NQ3X
[*] Am I the only one who thinks that outlawing or categorizing
automated receiving technology, while allowing all manner of automated
transmitting technology, is logically inconsistent?
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