Perfectly fair. Both have the same tools.
While we are visualizing and analogizing....
Let's give those chess players a computer and let them see which computer wins.
Then lets be sure to ask the winner about how he feels about the victory.
Let's give the sailboat racers a motor. The motor is better technology to move
the boat faster and that's the object of racing the boats. Ask the better
sailer how he feels about his sport now that he has the improved technology to
move the boat.
Let's use a software that copies signals that you can't detect otherwise and
keep track of how many countries we have talked to by bouncing our signal off
the moon. Maybe we can use some of that technology to copy those call signs in
our contests that we could not otherwise hear or copy. That will surely add to
the fun.
Let's give everyone a list of all the stations who are calling CQ and what
frequency they are on so everyone with a mouse and keyboard can "work 'em all"
while never touching the dial on the radio. Oops. Already done.
While we are at it lets bump that list against a master database of known good
call signs so we don't log someone that is a bad spot. The computer and code
reader are not yet perfect. Done.
Let's make it so someone who has never heard of ham radio and has absolutely
zero skill other than being an enthusiastic computer gamer can log stations at
well over 100 per hour. Absolutely not a problem right now.
Speaking of computer gamers...What the heck, while we're at it lets just take
the RF and all those unsightly, pesky wires and antennas out of the game. Your
HOA will thank you. We might attract hundreds of thousands worldwide if we have
a good enough computer game, offer some real prizes and have sponsorships, etc.
Other computer games have attracted big numbers. By gosh we can do it too,
and everyone knows without question the more people we can get involved
regardless of how it is done the better it will be.
No, the sky is not falling yet and contesting is fun now. Let's make some
attempt to keep it that way.
73...Stan, K5GO
Sent from my iPad
On Feb 25, 2013, at 3:33 PM, Robert Chudek - K0RC <k0rc@citlink.net> wrote:
> Okay, visualize it this way...
>
> You have two master chess champions vying for this year's title. The chess
> board is replaced by the amateur radio bands. Now the masters apply their
> skills of contesting instead of playing chess. Fair enough.
>
> Now introduce "Prospector" as an aide available to both contesters.
>
> How does this change the game? Is it still fair?
>
> 73 de Bob - KØRC in MN
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> On 2/25/2013 2:20 PM, Jack Haverty. wrote:
>> Imagine a server on the Internet. Let's call it Prospector. You send
>> your logs to it, in real time. It collects logs from a lot of people.
>> It also collects information from Skimmers et al. Maybe WWV,
>> WSPRNET, etc too. It knows a lot about what's going on, who's on
>> what frequencies, who's talking to whom right now, what bands are open
>> to where, etc.
>>
>> When you connect to Prospector, you give it your profile. So it knows
>> what your equipment can do, what contest you're working, and it knows
>> the rules of that contest. It can compute your score from your log
>> transmissions, and display your running score for spectator amusement.
>>
>> In return, Prospector sends you a constant stream of information. No
>> callsigns or exchange information is included. It merely sends
>> frequencies, and a projection of how many points you might make if you
>> QSYed there. So a target frequency, or even just a band segment, with
>> lots of juicy multipliers would get a high potential-point rating.
>> That rating would be based on your current personal situation, i.e.,
>> knowing from your log what mults and stations you've already worked,
>> etc. It could also tell you whether to make a quick single-Q Pounce,
>> or to go set up shop and start a Run. It might even suggest a
>> frequency that is clear.
>>
>> Someone using Prospector would, to me, seem to be "unassisted" by the
>> WRTC rules 12.4 and 12.5. You would still need to go and copy the
>> callsigns and exchanges by ear. All the service does is suggest
>> frequencies to be investigated.
>>
>> However, I suspect Prospector would prove very helpful in getting a
>> bigger score. You don't really care what callsigns you work. It's
>> only the point value that's important.
>>
>> How's that for a hole?
>>
>> IMHO, the Internet is a communications mechanism which can provide a
>> rich source of information. If you use the Internet to glean any kind
>> of information that might affect your score, you're being assisted.
>> If you use *only* ham radio to collect any kind of information, you're
>> unassisted. If you use any form of communications other than ham
>> radio, it's potentially assisting you.
>>
>> 73,
>> /Jack de K3FIV
>> [PS - it wouldn't surprise me at all if someone says that Prospector
>> already exists...]
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Feb 25, 2013 at 9:57 AM, brian coyne <g4odv@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>>> Ah - ha _ I see yet another multi thread post coming on re what is, and
>>> what is not, assistance.
>>>
>>> Why cannot all Contest Committees adopt the WRTC Standard ruling which
>>> makes it pretty clear, to me anyway, what unassisted really means...
>>>
>>>
>>> 12.4. Use of DX spotting (e.g., Packet, Web, etc.), skimmer or any
>>> other spotting and supplementary information network is not allowed. You
>>> are not allowed to receive any assistance to learn the callsign or
>>> exchange of any station other than by tuning the radio and listening by
>>> human ear.
>>> 12.5. The use of any callsign database or the ‘Super Check Partial’
>>> tool is not allowed. If the logging software incorporates this kind of
>>> feature, it must be disabled. The logging computer(s) may display a
>>> ‘Check Partial’ list based only upon the callsigns already worked during
>>> the contest.
>>>
>>> Can anyone really pick holes in that? That is the way I like to play it, no
>>> assistance, audio or visual.
>>>
>>> 73 Brian 5B4AIZ / C4Z.
>>>
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>
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