The benefits of knowing which Skimmers have spotted you include know which
bands are open, in which directions and how loud you are. This can help
optimize band choice, beam heading and choosing between running vs. S&P, at
least.
The way things are today, I think RBN spots that copy your own call would be
considered assisted in a CW contest. However, I don't care for that logic,
and I don't think it's sustainable for the long term.
Personally, I find the difference between assisted and unassisted to be
artificial at best. It is already difficult to independently and reliably
distinguish those who run assisted from those who don't, and that
distinction will undoubtedly get increasingly difficult to make over time.
Tools layered on top of SDR will blur the problem even more. However, those
in my camp have been outvoted -- for CQWW, at least.
For others who want to draw such a line, I think there are two unambiguous
options for defining assistance that make sense for the long term:
1. Anything that comes over the Internet or phone. If your network
connection to the outside world is unplugged and you don't use the phone
during a contest, and you're operating alone, then you should be considered
unassisted. A hardware or software tool shouldn't be assistance unless
there's a person on the other end of it. So, this would not exclude software
or other tools that run entirely locally -- even decoders like Skimmer.
Digital modes use decoders; there's really no rational principal upon which
to exclude them from CW (or phone, which may have them eventually as well).
Or:
2. Internet is OK, but tools that display specific callsigns (except perhaps
your own) would make you assisted. This means you could use Skimmer in a
"blind" mode, or use RBN or other cluster spots, but only with appropriate
filtering. For this approach, it only makes sense if the decoded data is
also from the same operating mode as you're competing in. If you're
competing in SSB, then CW spots with full calls should be acceptable.
Personally, if assisted categories have to exist, I prefer the first
approach to the second.
73, Rick ZL2HAM (ZL1G / ZM1G)
-----Original Message-----
From: CQ-Contest [mailto:cq-contest-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of
Robert Chudek - K0RC
Sent: Wednesday, July 24, 2013 5:46 AM
To: cq-contest@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Reverse beacon of my own call?
What value or benefit do you perceive you will receive from acquiring this
information?
73 de Bob - KØRC in MN
------------------------------------------------------------------------
On 7/23/2013 10:47 AM, rob wrote:
> Hi All
>
> I never tried this but in a contest class of single op with no
> assistance would this be against the rules to use.
>
> Reverse beacon network showing only which skimmers can copy ONLY my
> own call ? Part of me says this wrong yet part of me say maybe not ?
>
> BoB WA1FCN
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