On Sep 30, 2008, at 1:12 PM, Bill, W6WRT wrote:
> Does your opposition extend to computer-checked dupes?
Yes, because it had replaced one of the useful measurement of
"operator skill."
Granted that if everyone has automatic dupe checking capability, the
playing field is even and no one is "hurt." You have just taken the
dupe checking skill off the table completely. So it is "fair." I doubt
anyone is RTTY contesting without auto dupe checking anymore. Even
casual users need to make sure they don't call the same station again.
As we relegate one skill after another to automation what do you have
left to competing for?
With the performance of computers today, much of of what we think
today as skill can be replaced by software algorithms.
Alex VE3NEA had years ago discussed watching (I have never heard Alex
transmit, though) RTTY contests to tinker with better demodulators and
automated decoders. He just didn't released those experimental
software. More recently, he did release a version of CW Skimmer that
is especially useful very wideband receivers (look at the last figure):
http://www.dxatlas.com/CwSkimmer/
CW Skimming is actually much tougher to do than RTTY skimming, since
RTTY has character sync built into the stream plus ways to recognize
"carrier detect." But just watch -- CW contesters and DXers will no
longer be competitive anymore without the CW Skimmer. Years ago,
Alex had discussed with me techniques he was using to recognize
contest exchanges using Viterbi methods.
So, should CW Skimmer be banned or restricted to "assisted class" in
CW contests, or (which I think is more likely) we end up with a
situation where everybody in a contest runs CW Skimmer? Note the
analogy to automatic dupe checking.
So, would you like a program like this for RTTY where only some people
has this capability? If you are interested, I can create a Mac OS X
skimmer for RTTY. Notice that in an RTTY contest, you will need a
receiver that covers at least 80 kc -- something even cheap Softrocks
and moderately cheap soundcards can handle, though (or go upscale to
FlexRadios and K3/LP-PAN combos, etc).
As automation takes over, we could end up with a handicap system.
Auto dupe checking is 5 points, each 3 dB of power above 5 watts is 1
point, 5 points for each extra receiver you use, 5 points if you use
CW skimmer, etc etc.
73
Chen, W7AY
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