Steve, I don't think anyone here will flame you for printing the truth.
What you have described is the way it is in the "assisted class".
Many people work "unassisted" because they disliked all of that automation
you were poking fun at.
Personally I prefer contesting without all of that stuff too, and I do
participate in contests where I run none of it. Then I am in another class
and don't have to compete with those using that technology.
For the larger contests like CQWW DX, CQ-WPX, etc., there is also a club
competition, where the contest clubs of the world compete against each
other. Here the sum of the scores of all of the members of each contest
team are compared to the sums of the scores of all the other contest teams
and the team with the highest total score wins.
My club was founded 30 years ago with the sole purpose of winning the team
contesting for CQWW DX.
It took us about 10 to 15 years to get there but for the past 10 to 15
years, my club has won at least as often as any other club in the world.
Learned yesterday that we won CQ-WPX 2014.
In order to fulfill my obligation to my club and contribute as many points
as possible, I must run Assisted category in big contests. I make a lot
more points in that class than when running without all the spots and
skimmers.
Part of winning is the planning for "where do we go next". In any given
major contest we have half a dozen teams scattered around the world on
expeditions. For instance Lord Howel (VK9LM in CQWW SSB this year). I went
abroad for the big contests for many years. Can't afford it anymore.
That's all part of the game.
If you enjoy it, fine.
If not, the hobby offers plenty of alternatives which are just as fun.
We can do whatever we please.
Long ago I chose contesting. I must be a masochist.
Contesting is similar to smoking.
When you are young it's cool, a lot of fun...
but when you get older, it kills you! ;-)
I can't win a contest anymore; don't have the stamina.
But I can still contribute points to my club, and together we often win.
73 - Rick, DJ0IP
(Nr. Frankfurt am Main)
-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Steve Berg
Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2014 2:04 AM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] New Radios in the Future
I have been following this thread with both interest and trepidation.
It appears that in order to be competitive, a station needs a high end
computer, that can run software for logging, scanning the DX cluster
websites, turn the antenna or steer the phased array to the most optimal
direction for any given station, show a display for CW skimmer, and all the
operator needs to do is click on the station shown on the display, and the
computer and radio do the rest, including sending the code for the signal
report or other exchange criteria. At most the mere human needs to slightly
twiddle a few knobs, the fewer the better, or perhaps hit a button a few
times now and then.
If this is the case, you are stopping just short of a revolutionary advance
in contesting. Why not build up a really high end computer, like those that
one of my friends constructs for his musical work, and eliminate the weakest
link in the contesting station? I am sure that the computer could
completely take over the station, and run it to much higher scores. Perhaps
someone, probably Gordon West, could write a program so that the computers
actually get licensed themselves. Much of the studying for the exams now is
done by rote memory, and computers can certainly excel at that. They might
even take the test on-line. Why not just automate the entire process, and
eliminate the error prone human being that needs at least some sleep and
rest breaks?
Climbing into my flame proof suit...
73,
Steve WA9JML
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