[CQ-Contest] Assisted or Not Assisted?

[Pete Smith]

At 03:22 PM 11/13/00 -0600, jbattin wrote:
>
>When you use a computer program that has in it thousands of calls  prepared
>by another party ..... Is that not assisted also... I think we are trying to
>legislate technology, which in the long run never works.

Well, yes and no.  In some forms of competition, the organizers have been
successful in drawing a line that defines the essence of it.  For example,
in sailboat racing only wind propulsion is allowed.  There are many lesser
"class" distinctions in many sports made on technical bases, ranging from
hull size to engine displacement to whatever.  To me, separating classes by
whether or not packet is used is no different than drag racers having
"electronic" and "non-electronic" classes in bracket racing.

If we accept John's premise, then we should not try to prevent the advent
of entirely computerized contest stations, where operator intervention is
not required.  We're told the technology exists today, but I don't think
anyone wants to go that way.

So what is the essence, the irreducible human minimum, of ham radio
contesting?  Where do we draw the line?

73, Pete Smith N4ZR

Contesting is ... Extreme Radio

The World Contest Station Database 
is back up and running at
http://www.qsl.net/n4zr 



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