[CQ-Contest] Real Time Scoreboards

[K4RO Kirk Pickering]

On Mon, Nov 20, 2006 K5ZD Randy Thompson wrote:
> I have now had the opportunity to use real-time contest scoreboards in two
> contests and have some observations to share. For CQWW Phone 2006 and SS CW
> 2006, I was submitting my scores and watching the scores through the on-line
> scoreboard set up by Gerry, W1VE.

I used Gerry's scoreboard in SS phone this last weekend.
K4TCG was NOT a competitive effort, and I had plenty of
time to play with the new technology.

I think I can honestly say that in the end, scoreboards might 
generate more activity. I found it exciting to see the scores
get updated, and I made QSOs simply to see if my score would 
get updated on the web. It did! It really added a new dimension
to the contest. There is *something* about a live scoreboard 
that is compelling, and it could be an exciting new chapter 
in contesting.


> The good.
> I am a competitive person.  Unfortunately, it is difficult to really compare
> scores unless you and your competition do a full out effort and even then...

I can honestly say that if I was within say, 50 QSOs of the next
station up on the board, I would have made more QSOs simply to try
to "overcome" him. It's a quick and simple way to get a competitive
rush in real time. Contesters always want to "beat" someone, whether
it's in a pileup or a full-out race. Scoreboards might give everyone 
an extra push. WHAT? He got AHEAD? I better get my stuff in GEAR!


> The scoreboard really made the contest much more fun for me.  By seeing my
> score compared to others, it actually motivated me to operate more than I
> had originally planned.  I would think this is good for the contest overall.

I know that I made more QSOs as a result of the scoreboard.


> The not so good.
> Information is everything.  One of the real challenges of single op has
> always been dealing with the isolation.  You work only with your own
> observations and experience. Your motivation is tested by fatigue.
> Unfortunately, many operators now use the Internet for propagation info ...

I hear what you (and others) are saying a little better now Randy.
W4PA was visiting here this weekend and he was pretty clear in his
belief that Internet of any kind should not be allowed for single 
op. While I personally feel that getting weather and prop info from
the net is no different that tuning into NOAA or WWV, I think it's 
all a waste of time in the end.  Time spent surfing or reading would
be better spent tuning the 2nd radio for another QSO. I had the GOES	
X-ray flux up during CW SS next to Geoclock. I don't think I looked at
it a single time during the whole contest. I was occupied elsewhere.

Sidebar. I think that globally-generated Super Check Partial databases
are a far more insidious form of "help" for the single op. While I've 
sent a few logs to the SCP databases over the years, I choose personally 
to use an SCP database generated from my own logs ONLY. I learned this 
tip many years ago from W9WI. That way, I only deal with my own mistakes, 
and I don't have to deal with mistakes made by others. End sidebar. 


> The bad

I think one of the biggest problems with scoreboarding could be cheerleading.
Contesting has suffered already from cheerleading problems in the past and 
not-so-distant past. A live scoreboard could really make that problem more 
challenging, to say the least.


My bottom line is that I would never use a scoreboard in a serious
single operator competitive effort. I am far too busy making QSOs to 
spend my time playing with the Internet.  I do think that real time
scoreboards could be a boon to my casual contest operating, and I look 
forward to trying the technology again.  Thanks to Gerry and everyone 
who made it happen.  Here we go again, down another winding road...

73

-Kirk  K4RO