[CQ-Contest] Domestic Spots

[N7MAL]

Here we go again: I was a packet-cluster sysop at the very beginning. It has never, let me shout it, "NEVER", been considered good etiquette  for USA stations to spot USA stations during a DX contest.
Secondly a packet-cluster user cannot lock-out/reject spots from individual stations only regions or districts, i.e. W6 or CA. Why would you suggest further penalizing stations who are already handicapped because they can't find DX stations on their own without the aid of the "cluster" big spotters. Furthermore why would you penalize stations like, W6YX, who feel the need to show-off the fact they can hear every station on the band and then can actually type the calls in the cluster.

Everyone knows my feelings about using the"Cluster" during contests. Early Saturday morning I had a nice/casual JA run going, 2 a minute. All of the sudden, as if by magic, my rate jumped to 5 a minute. I didn't ask for that and I guarantee you I didn't want it but someone in JA land spotted me on their cluster. While it may be nice for the ego all the fun went out of the JA run and it became work. The saddest part is because the spot went out to the whole world 3, yes 3, USA stations called just because they saw the spot.(it was the only time during the weekend USA stations called) How in the world were we ever able to contest before 1987???

Unfortunately most contest sponsors refuse to restrict, or outlaw, clusters during contests because they are afraid of losing precious revenue for their magazines, not in the integrity or the real meaning of contesting. So the cluster handicapped hams will always win out and the 'REAL' contesters will be the losers.
I suggest we no longer call it contesting, because it is no longer a contest when you know where to find stations to work because it is being spoon fed to you.
The ARRLDX SpoonFeeding Weekend, CQDXSpoonFeeding, WPXSpoonFeeding, SSSpoonFeeding, etc etc


MAL               N7MAL
BULLHEAD CITY, AZ
http://www.ctaz.com/~suzyq/N7mal.htm
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Dean Wood 
  To: Richard Zalewski 
  Cc: Cq-Contest 
  Sent: Monday, February 21, 2005 23:22
  Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Domestic Spots


  Richard Zalewski wrote:

  > What's with W6YX and all the domestic spotes this weekend?


  Hi Dick,

  I am often an operator at W6YX, and although I did not participate last 
  weekend, I did speak to one of the operators today, and I'd be happy to 
  answer your query.

  As you know, the ARRL DX CW contest was last weekend.  W6YX was active 
  in it.

  1) Not everyone who monitors the DX packet cluster, or was active in 
  last weekend's contest, lives in the USA.  USA spots tend to be helpful 
  to the DX stations using packet.

  2) Within reason for a given contest, we believe it is simply in good 
  spirit to spot any station we hear calling CQ.  There has been a lot of 
  debate on the cq-contest reflector about "packet cheerleading" or 
  spotting a select few buddies dozens of times while not spotting other 
  stations.  The W6YX group does not "packet cheerlead."   We spot 
  everyone based on whether they are in or out of our bandmap.  The fact 
  that W6YX was spotting both DX stations and domestic stations does not 
  mean that W6YX was misinterpreting the ARRL DX rules or trying to 
  contact any domestic stations for credit.  It simply means we were 
  equally spotting CQers heard on the bands.  We hope the spots helped 
  stations who chose to use packet last weekend have more fun, regardless 
  of whether they happened to be operating from the USA or not.

  3) Any stations who don't wish to see the entire contents of a DX packet 
  cluster have been repeatedly encouraged on the cq-contest reflector to 
  use their packet software's filtering techniques according to what 
  regions of the world they want to view (or don't want to view).

  W6YX has been thanked many times in the past by other stations for 
  increasing their fun in contests by accurately spotting many stations to 
  packet, and has been encouraged to continue to do so in future contests.

  73...
  -Dean - N6DE



  _______________________________________________
  CQ-Contest mailing list
  CQ-Contest at contesting.com
  http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest