[CQ-Contest] RE: The Next BIG Step in contesting

[Richard Ferch]

On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 at 09:22:50 -0500, WB0WAO said:

>I think it IS the next step in the "evolution" of contesting - but would a 
>station that is running such software and NOT receiving spots be in the 
>Assisted or Unassisted class? <sorry, just HAD to put that in!>

Assisted, of course - unlike the station who just listens to K1TTT on the 
air to figure out their strategy, a station running such software and 
learning about K1TTT's strategy and actions is getting that information 
from a helper.

One other point that should be obvious - if actual QSO information is 
posted, that would be an open invitation to cheating by non-participating 
eavesdroppers who could make use of the information to massage their own 
logs during the contest (for example, don't bother copying the serial 
number the other station sends to you, just find it out from the real-time 
data).

I am probably missing something here, but I am not too sure whether 
real-time posting of data to the Web would be of very much interest to most 
unassisted single operator stations (whether SO1R or SO2R). I think the 
main audience would be either casual participants and spectators or 
multi-operator stations. The cost to a serious single op in time and 
attention taken away from operating would probably more than offset any 
gain. I suspect that is also the main reason why assisted single-op scores 
are usually lower than the top unassisted scores. Indeed, doesn't the main 
drive for innovations like this come from multi-ops, in order to solve the 
problem of what to do with extra operators with time on their hands waiting 
for their next shift in front of a radio? <grin>

73,
Rich VE3IAY