PACKET & THE SINGLE OP

[KWIDELITZ at delphi.com]

A few months back, in response to Tom Taormina's editorial on non
CQ soliciting of contest QSOs (ie, at club meetings, from friends
"dropping  by  on  your frequency with spots", etc.)  I  wrote  a
reply.  In my reply I postured "Can you ask another  operator  on
the air if he has worked, say, Yukon, or Wyoming in  Sweepstakes,
and if so, when and where?" I have decided it is okay to do  this
as  it doesn't involve spotting in the true sense of the word  if
the other operator doesn't give an exact frequency and call sign,
and isn't dedicated to hunting stations for you."

Well,  this past Sunday afternoon in phone  Sweepstakes,  needing
Yukon,  Puerto Rico and Delaware for the sweep, I started  asking
high  scoring contacts if they had worked the ones I needed.  One
station told me VY1QST was on 14306.5 a half hour earlier. He was
still there 30 seconds later. A few hours later, another  station
told  me KP4CZ's frequency, although I couldn't bust the pile.  A
few  hours  later,  a station gave me  NP4Z's  frequency,  who  I
worked.  I  was also told the call signs of two  active  Delaware
stations. A half hour later I happened upon WN3K (who I knew  was
on beforehand from his Internet post) for the sweep.

So  now about my ethical dilemma. I'm getting  exact  frequencies
and  calls.  Is the operator I'm querying looking at  his  packet
screen  and reading me the spot? If so, must I submit a  Multi-OP
log.  I think not. (Is he? Maybe he is Multi-OP, so using  packet
is  fine.) Do I have an obligation to ask if he is going to  give
me  packet  info? Maybe he just worked the guy. I passed  on  the
same info three or four times later in the contest, so getting an
exact call and frequency doesn't mean it came from packet.

Brief   conversations  with  other  operators,  apart  from   the
exchange,  about  band  openings  and  conditions,   multipliers,
scores, etc., has always seemed to me to be part of the "buzz" of
a  contest, which adds to the fun. I don't think this  should  be
restricted. Who to ask for information, and when, is part of  the
contesting strategy. So I still don't have a problem with  asking
for  and receiving such information, as long as it comes  without
premeditation, that is, without being established beforehand that
another station is going to pass me spots.

Very truly yours,


Ken Widelitz, AB6FO

With all the discussion about packet spots and SS, I thought I'd 
post a letter I'm sending to the NCJ on the subject.

>From D. Leeson" <0005543629 at mcimail.com  Tue Nov 23 08:28:00 1993
From: D. Leeson" <0005543629 at mcimail.com (D. Leeson)
Date: Tue, 23 Nov 93 03:28 EST
Subject: W6QHS (KM9P) SS SSB
Message-ID: <11931123082811/0005543629NA3EM at mcimail.com>

W6QHS (KM9P, op.) SS SSB:  2241 x 77

Bill arrived Thurs., sat down at rig Sat. for an hour or two, then
proceeded to dive into contest.  Amazing how best ops can adapt to
strange station and new propagation.  Congrats to Rich, KI3V!

Dave, W6QHS