[CQ-Contest]

[Larry Lindblom W0ETC]

TCG now has seven players for NAQP RTTY teams.  There is plenty of room
for more team members.  We'd love to have you join us be it some part time
fun or a full time go for the record effort.


Those signed on so far include:

W4GKM
W4AUI
W0ETC
W4OX
N4JN    Part Time
NA6E    Part Time
W4LC   Part Time


Remember, in this contest you can be a member of a team, contribute to a
team score, and also compete for a  Single Operator award.

If you want to join in the fun please email w0etc at ix.netcom.com

73 W0ETC from the TCG IA branch office


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>From Paul EI5DI" <paul at ei5di.com  Wed Jul 11 21:59:48 2001
From: Paul EI5DI" <paul at ei5di.com (Paul EI5DI)
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2001 21:59:48 +0100
Subject: [CQ-Contest] Extent of computerization (was: Mode 516  suggestions)
References: <1010611092707.JAB06452 at gate.iterated.com>
Message-ID: <005601c10a4e$c85009e0$e5a5fea9 at dell>


I'd like to thank Bill AA4LR for his comments.  Just to emphasize that
all my remarks are in the context of what I see as legitimate
practices for amateur radio contesting.  I've as many prejudices as
anyone else, so please don't anyone take this personally.

> >  EI5DI:  1. (Amateur Radio Contesters) Use the ionosphere as their
sole means of propagation.

> AA4LR:   I see nothing in a better computer/radio integration that
would affect this. (Although some contacts are clearly made with
ground wave, but I get what you mean)

That's fine with me so long as the operator(s), at both ends, are
physically located close to where the computer/radio integration
occurs.  For example, remote control or an internet link would, of
itself, change the operation from amateur radio contesting to amateur
(whatever you prefer to call it yourself - I suggested wirrio)
contesting.

> >  EI5DI:  2. Use local antennas and radios, not remote equipment
controlled over the web or by any other means.

> AA4LR:  Already, today, W4AN and others access their stations
remotely. There are many reasons to do this.

My only reservation is that, at some stage - depending on distance and
methodology, this leads to something other than amateur radio
contesting.

> >  EI5DI:  3. Do not use modes that we, unaided, can (not)
understand. That rules out all digital modes, no mater how efficient
or technically advanced, and, in effect, everything apart from the
spoken word (analogue modes, including SSB, DSB, FM, AM etc.) and CW,
so long as the CW is not machine decoded.

> AA4LR:  RTTY contesting has been well established -- yet you would
wipe it out?

No, not at all, and neither would I wipe out or criticise other data
modes for contesting.  It's just that they need some intelligence,
other than human, at both ends of the link to make it all work - be it
electro-mechanical, or electronic, or software.  I think of all data
modes as amateur data communications by radio.  Not worse, or better,
just different.

> AA4LR:  As for machine decoding of CW -- why prohibit it? What if an
amateur is  deaf?

Yes, that's a valid example, but it's relatively trivial in terms of
the overall issue.

>  AA4LR:  Is he not allowed to participate in a CW contest? And how
about operators whose code speed is lousy? (I know of a friend of mine
who  never got beyond 5 wpm) Should they be prohibited from CW
contests?

No, there should never be prohibition, only encouragement, and amateur
radio contesting is very liberal in this respect.  Many other
disciplines have strict qualifying criteria before prospective
entrants can take part.  Operators whose code speed is lousy should
try to improve if they want to become competitive at CW. In the same
way, you don't become a better sailor by using an engine to make your
sailboat go faster.

> >  EI5DI:  4. Do not make use of any external assistance.  That
includes spotting using any external mechanism such as packet radio or
the internet or calls from friends.  This is independent of SO / MO
arguments.

> AA4LR:  There are already contest rules in place to deal with the
concept of assistance.

Perhaps, but once we permit MO stations to receive real-time
DX/Multiplier spots, we have effectively removed all limits on the
location of the station.  I believe the present rules need to be
changed.

> > EI5DI:  Within the bounds of Amateur Radio Contesting, I accept cw
and voice keyers, DSP processing, computer control of all (local)
station hardware ....

> AA4LR:  If DSP processing is OK, then we just extend the concept of
DSP to it's logical conclusion.

By the same token, if remote control and internet connectivity are OK,
we might as well have real-time internet contesting and minimise the
unpredictable RF propagation paths.  I'm saying that we have to have a
boundary between amateur radio contesting and amateur worrio
contesting.  Our difficulty is in establishing the boundary.  I
believe it's already placed too far in the direction of the internet -
others will think differently.

> AA4LR:  Seems like we crossed the boundary long ago.

I agree with you, amateur wirrio contesting is alive and well.  Not
better, or worse, but different.

> AA4LR:  How would you feel about a turbosail? (A Turbosail is still
a  wind-powered vessel, but the sail portion is a cylindrical column
with an  adjustable slot, whose contents are evacuated by a fan at the
top. The power comes from the wind, the fan merely allows the airflow
to hug the sail tightly. Turbosail is typically computer controlled,
and adjusts automatically to changing wind conditions)

I'll have to think about that one!!  Maybe it's the yachting
equivalent of DSP?  However, it doesn't detract from my point - once
the nature of amateur radio contesting is changed, it becomes
something else.

> AA4LR:  Isn't the same true of computerized logging versus paper
logging?  Computerized logging is a  simpler, faster and requires a
lot less manual effort.

My view is that the computer isn't doing anything I couldn't do
myself, with resources available to me before the contest, and with
the benefit of my log and what I hear during the contest, except that
the computer is doing it very much faster.  I can send morse on a hand
key, decode morse myself, tune my radio and keep my log and dupesheets
on paper.  On the other hand, I could not use any other data mode
without a computer.

> AA4LR:  Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"  --
Wilbur Wright, 1901

Yes, and before Wilbur we had gliders or sailplanes.  There are still
people who fly them for their own sake, just as there are sailors, and
there are (and will be) amateur radio contesters.

73,
Paul EI5DI


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