It was great to meet you at Dayton, Chuck!
I recently bought and built a Softrock Ensemble II SDR receiver kit. I
am currently using it with HDSDR software. I'm having a blast. I
recorded segments of a pileup and a contest and have been having fun
going back and tuning around in the recorded files and listening to
all the stations.
I can see how this could be done relatively inexpensively for a CW
pileup contest. If it used computer software instead of a tuning dial,
though, it would take some prior knowledge of the software for the
person using it in order to do well in the contest.
73, Zack W9SZ
On 5/28/13, Charles Sanders <no5w.chuck@gmail.com> wrote:
>>This sounds like another challenge to the developers of the pileup
>> contest.
>>With SDRs and broadband recorders readily available, there is no reason we
>>can't have individual RIT controls or even actual radios in a pileup
>>contest. "Simple matter of engineering."
>
>>/Rick N6XI
>
> This is doable, at least theoretically, and I know of at least one instance
> where it has been done, but it requires a lot of work on the part of the
> developer/organizer. A few years ago Gary W5ZL-SK and I decided to do this
> for a SSB pileup competition at the Austin Summerfest. Gary had a broadband
> recording of a time-slice of 20m, for one of the major SSB contests. We set
> up a computer running power SDR software that folks stopping by could tune
> the band and copy calls -- anything that they heard, including stations
> calling CQ.
>
> The tedious part, mostly done by W5ZL, came in building the verification
> file of all valid call signs in the recording for use by the pileup grading
> software. He spent a good part of a weekend listening to and tuning the
> recording and making note of the call signs heard. It was a lot of work and
> in the end the number of folks taking the test did not merit doing it
> again.
>
> At least in the current method of developing pileup contests the developer
> starts with a known list of valid calls and builds the pileup tape from
> there. Perhaps something in between these extremes could be developed to
> add realism -- its probably a simple matter of engineering:>)
>
> 73/Chuck/NO5W
>
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
|