Some years ago we remarked about the possible unintended consequences of
packet, spotting and skimmers. Many dismissed these thoughts as heresy
that could only be penned by someone so out of touch with the
progression of technology.
It now appears that some of these chickens may have returned to the roost.
Instead of this Contest Reflector being used to advance our operating
skills and technologies, it has morphed into endless opinions about DQs,
finger pointing, rules that make no sense, you gotta have internet,
friends spotting friends, ad nauseum. Truly the tail wagging the dog
(no insults to real dogs intended).
From my limited perspective, these are my observations of what packet,
spotting, skimmers have added to our beloved hobby:
1) diminished operating skills
2) stations don't know the call of the station they're calling
3) stations can't copy calls
4) stations don't know how to find DX
5) stations don't know the best way to break a pile-up, often leading to
incessant calling
6) stations bust the call, and spot this busted call - leading to DUPES
for the DX station, forcing the DX station to QSY
7) RBN is so efficient, it puts all the callers zero beat with one
another - and they don't know it (see 5, above)
I naturally expect that all who read this are saying "who is he talking
about? Surely, not me".................
SUGGESTION: If you don't believe me, go somewhere and be rare DX and see
how many of these you observe in a contest. ZD8 is a good choice. Big
signals from the USA, South America, Europe, and Japan. Learn how the
JA's do it - they are simply among the best.
Before too much longer, amateur radio contesting will have descended
into who has the best internet and connections to their remote
receivers and transmitters scattered around the world.
Can't wait...
Oh sure, many with limited station resources, limited time want/need
packet to have some fun in the contest. And I realize the packet and
skimmer "genies" will never get stuffed back in the bottle. And that's
OK. I just hope that all will try and minimize 1) through 7), above. I
believe that to be in our mutual interest in the maintenance of the
integrity of our hobby.
By the way, when I was a member of the CQ WW DX Contest Committee, forty
some years ago, I suggested that BEFORE any given contest, each station
proclaim their intentions to be a Competitor or a Participant.
Participants can operate however they choose (hopefully still within the
dictums of their license and contest rules) and the Competitors follow
all strict rules and conditions of the contest, and including maybe
even recording their operation for submittal if requested.
Vy 73
Jim Neiger N6TJ ZD8Z
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