Spots

[Waltk at PICA.ARMY.MIL]

Bill, KF0DJ, writes:

>Why, in a competitive situation, would I want to give any advantage to my
>competition by spotting a juicy multiplier?

Ah, you guys from areas other than the Northeast miss the point because
here in the Northeast, the PacketCluster systems of two of the three major
clubs (no flames from Alamaba & the boys down South, please) DISCONNECT
from each other during the major contests. My perception of the thinking
within our club is that spotting new mults supercedes the competition
that goes on between members, or member stations, of the club.
The goal is to "up the score" for the entire club.  My personal take on
this is, that any denial to information should not be allowed. I don't
see it as a detriment to either club if we don't disconnect. Information
should be shared and should there for all to make use of (legally, within
the confines of the class of operation, of course). Its what you do with
the information, your strategy, that will be the deciding factor.

......................................................................
73 de Walt Kornienko  -   K2WK          Internet:  waltk at pica.army.mil
DX PacketCluster:  K2WK > W3MM  (FRC)   Packet: K2WK at N2ERH.NJ.USA.NOAM
______________________________________________________________________

>From Alan Brubaker <alan at nah.dsd.ES.COM>  Wed Sep 21 21:16:37 1994
From: Alan Brubaker <alan at nah.dsd.ES.COM> (Alan Brubaker)
Date: Wed, 21 Sep 94 14:16:37 -0600
Subject: What was it like?
Message-ID: <199409212016.OAA27149 at nah.dsd.ES.COM>


When I got my novice license in 1956, we were coming up on the
largest sunspot peak ever recorded, and 10 meters was the most
active phone band in the spectrum. On the weekends it was jammed
with signals from 28.500 clear up to 29.700 - mostly AM. There
was a little bit of SSB on 20, 40 and 75 - mostly well-to-do hams
who could afford the new Collins equipment, Central Electronics
10As and 20As and a few homebrewers. CW was the most popular mode
for most of us because we could have a decent signal with relatively
inexpensive equipment and modest antennas. The concept of a
superstation was relatively unkown, and a few top notch operators
dominated the competitions - W4KFC, W9IOP, W5WZQ, W6HJT, KH6IJ, to 
name a few, and others.

KH6IJ was one of my first QSOs in the 1960 ARRL phone DX contest, 
along with a few other DX stations. We still did AM then, but it was 
a mixture of SSB and AM and AM was gradually exiting the DX stage.
Sometime back then, CQ magazine sponsored the first CQ Worldwide
SSB contest, which later became the WPX contest. But the short
answer to the question is, yes, the phone bands were a mass of
hetrodynes, and split operation on all of the bands was quite
popular, with DX stations transmitting below 14200, 21250 and
28.500 and listening up in the "American Phone Band". Doug, K1DG,
probably has more accurate information about this particular period
of time - this is all off the top of my head from memory, which just
is not as good as it used to was .... ..

Alan, K6XO (ex KN6QPH, K6QPH and KH6EVT)

alan at dsd.es.com   or   alan at nah.dsd.es.com

It's hard to be humble... when you're from California...

>From Lau, Zack,  KH6CP" <zlau at arrl.org  Wed Sep 21 21:18:00 1994
From: Lau, Zack,  KH6CP" <zlau at arrl.org (Lau, Zack,  KH6CP)
Date: Wed, 21 Sep 94 16:18:00 EDT
Subject: Radio Cops
Message-ID: <2E809586 at arrl.org>




Dan, KI6X wrote:
>     Remember that CT in the single op unassisted mode does not allow
>     received packets but allows you to send them.  I don't know why a big
>     single op would put out packets for others.  Maybe to get the the
>[...]
Bill KF0DJ wrote.
As a cap pistol instead of a big gun, I must be missing something here, too.
Why, in a competitive situation, would I want to give any advantage to my
competition by spotting a juicy multiplier?  Rule issues aside, it seems a
rather curious notion to want to give any hints whatever to the others in 
the
contest.  Let the other guys find them by themselves.  Now, if someone in 
the
contest wants to help me out by spotting someone I need, then, rules
permitting, I may take the help.

Of course, there are folks who are just dabbling in the contest and don't
think about the competitive impact of putting something on the network.
However, it seems to me that packet clusters should, ideally, fall deathly
silent at 0001Z on Friday night and not see any use until after the contest
ends.

Yes, you are missing something.  In the Northeast, you have a relatively 
intense
club rivalry between the FRC and the YCCC.  Thus, while there are only a few
in the running for actually winning the contest, there many others trying to 
help out
the club as much as possible.

Besides, it is fun to spot multipliers before the Big multi-multis.  I bet 
there are
still a few FRCers who remember a few of my single op voice FM spots
(I'd look at the S-meter and see if the channel was clear).  One I remember 
was
a JA on 80 CW from N3KZ (right in Philadelphia--where I couldn't be expected
to hear anything....)

And, if you want to guest op/multi-op someplace, intelligent spots
undoubtedly helps get you invited.  Might be a good screening tool
for multis to use--you can tell an awful lot about a contesters by what
prospective candidates spot.

  

>From Michael Owen <MOWE at SLUMUS.STLAWU.EDU>  Wed Sep 21 21:21:57 1994
From: Michael Owen <MOWE at SLUMUS.STLAWU.EDU> (Michael Owen)
Date: Wed, 21 Sep 94 16:21:57 EDT
Subject: Who's in charge here?
Message-ID: <21SEP94.17675410.0079.MUSIC at MUSIC.STLAWU.EDU>

Steve Harrison wrote:
>Many times, a large station owner has a guy/gal or a bunch of guys/gals
>over to operate some contest using his/her call. Frequently, the owner does
>not stick around to monitor everything. The latest instance of this as

This is so simple that I can't believe it's even a point of controversy.
If someone's using your callsign (with your permission, of course) then
it's your station and *you* are responsible for what they do.  You don't
have to be there.  You don't have to be awake.  But you're still
responsible... if you can't trust the operator(s) then maybe you'd
better not "give 'em the keys."  Simple.

MRO

************************************************************************
Michael R. Owen, Ph.D.                        a.k.a.: W9IP
Department of Geology                         Northern Lights Software
St. Lawrence University                       Star Route, Box 60
Canton, NY  13617                             Canton, NY  13617
(315) 379-5975             -  voice  -        (315) 379-0161 (6-9pm)
e-mail: MOWE at SLUMUS            FAX   -        (315) 379-5804
************************************************************************

>From R.SCHREIBMAIER" <bob at mtdcr.att.com  Wed Sep 21 21:29:50 1994
From: R.SCHREIBMAIER" <bob at mtdcr.att.com (R.SCHREIBMAIER)
Date: Wed, 21 Sep 1994 16:29:50 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Radio Cops
Message-ID: <9409212028.AA00280 at ig1.att.att.com>

> Dan, KI6X wrote:
> >     Remember that CT in the single op unassisted mode does not allow 
> >     received packets but allows you to send them.  I don't know why a big 
> >     single op would put out packets for others.  Maybe to get the the 
> >[...]
> 
> As a cap pistol instead of a big gun, I must be missing something here, too.
> Why, in a competitive situation, would I want to give any advantage to my
> competition by spotting a juicy multiplier?

How about:  because I'm a member of a club and I would like to see the
club do well?  Or am I the only person in the world who is a member of
a club?  8^)

73,
Bob K2PH

-- 
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| Bob Schreibmaier K2PH  | UUCP:     ...!att!mtdcr!bob |
| AT&T Bell Laboratories | Internet: bob at mtdcr.att.com |
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