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[CQ-Contest] Self spotting rationale

To: <cq-contest@contesting.com>
Subject: [CQ-Contest] Self spotting rationale
From: "Robert Chudek - K0RC" <k0rc@citlink.net>
Reply-to: Robert Chudek - K0RC <k0rc@citlink.net>
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:27:49 -0500
List-post: <cq-contest@contesting.com">mailto:cq-contest@contesting.com>
Art, K3KU said:
"Packet, Skimmer, Call History Databases, Dueling CQ's...  C**p!!  Who needs 
musicians, Martha?  Just wind up the player piano!"

KØRC says:
"But there's a strong market for both manual and player pianos. Why would 
anyone buying a manual piano want to "judge" how the player piano should 
operate? Isn't that why there is both assisted and unassisted contest 
categories in the first place?"


Doug, KR2Q said:
"If I want to test the waters on 10 meters (whether I'm qrp or a big M/M), 
wouldn't it be far
more "efficient" for me to simply spot myself?  That is not the basis of 
contesting.  If you
can be "loud" and gather a crowd and some of them happen to spot you, fine.  
But initiating
it yourself?  Totally different."

KØRC says:
"Absolutely it would be far more efficient to simply spot yourself. I thought 
creating separate categories WAS to define several different 'basis for 
contesting.' Why would you, as an unassisted participant, care whether an 
assisted operator could spot themselves or not? As you state, assisted and 
non-assisted are totally different."


Yuri, K3Bu said:
"Besides, wouldn't it be "fun" if everyone spotted themselves? Talking about 
overload. Maybe we do not need radios, just click on internet or have skimmer 
and clicker do it for us?"

KØRC says:
"I seriously doubt you could overload the internet. Terabytes of data are 
transported worldwide ever second. Granted, some of the spotting network nodes 
may need to be 'supercharged', but the software tools are already in place that 
eliminates duplicate spots, regions, call areas, etc.

"Isn't the basic idea of the spotting network to alert the assisted contesters 
'who's on and where'? My basic question remains, why are we putting artificial 
limits on generating this information? Why do you care who creates the spot in 
the first place? These arcane rules are creating additional consternation about 
'cheating.'


Mike, N3LI said:
"In addition, the DX clusters are there for DX'ers. That they get hijacked by 
contesters is one thing, but when we talk about posting  bogus info, or to 
bring them down, that's not a good thing.

KØRC says:
"WHY does this myth continue to be perpetuated? The original DXCluster software 
was created by contesters (Dick Newell - AK1A, et. al.) to help contesters 
during contests. It had nothing to do with casual, daily DXing. I know first 
hand because I ran one of the original 3 networked contest nodes in the 
Minneapolis, MN area. I still have the license, software disks, SysOp manual, 
TNC's and hardware from those purchases."


Nobody said:
"What about the new Xtreme category?"

KØRC says:
"I'm so glad you asked! Maybe this is the category to first allow self-spotting 
to 'see how it goes', along with all the other innovative technology 
advancements.

"But my basic question remains unanswered. WHY, if the spotting network can be 
used in (most) assisted categories, can't a station advertise they are on a 
particular band and mode - looking for contacts. The recipients of the spots 
STILL need a receiver to actually hear the signal and exchange a contest report 
in both directions on the airwaves. This has nothing to do with "Internet 
Contesting," which is a completely different topic.

"I am still not convinced there is a logical, rational reason why you cannot 
self spot in the assisted category during a contest. And as another group 
member pointed out, self-spotting brings the wrath from some network users even 
during non-contesting times."

73 de Bob - KØRC in MN

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