[CQ-Contest] For $0.99 you get... [was: SS Packet DANGER, DANGER, Will Robinson!!!]

[Mike Coslo]

Bill Turner wrote:
> ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
>
> On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 11:33:59 -0500, Michael Coslo <mjc5 at psu.edu>
>  wrote:
>
>   
>> Now we go on to questions:
>>
>> 	If someone tells me that such and such is 10 KHz up, is that spotting?
>>
>> 	That is not in the intent of the rules. That does not confer any  
>> particular advantage to the Op. If we are going to call that  
>> assisted, we'll need to get VERY specific. Is the use of a bandscope  
>> on radios such as the IC-756 in the Assisted category? You're not  
>> getting specific callsigns, but it does tell you where traffic is.  
>> How about mailing lists where people say they will be operating from  
>> such and such place?
>>     
>
> ------------ REPLY FOLLOWS ------------
>
> "Assistance" in the context of contesting means from a human being who
> is feeding you information about another station. A bandscope does not
> display information from another person, whereas a packet spot does. 
>
> The concept is pretty simple. Is someone feeding you info or not? Are
> you actually using the information or not? Answer those two questions
> and your class of operation will become clear
>   
    Bill, I don't necessarily think that the concept is that simple. I 
think people on both sides of this discussion are thoughtful, and both 
sides put forth some persuasive arguments.

    And I definitely know that if we are going to define *exactly* what 
constitutes assistance, we'll come up with many more questions than answers.

    Of course one of us could contact the sponsor and ask specific 
questions, such as "If a fellow Ham tells me that there is a rare 
station/mult/whatever operating at some frequency nearby, and I contact 
that station am I now in the assisted category? Furthermore, ask if you 
are then prohibited from a QSO with that Op during the rest of the 
contest? Or only that band? Find out what they would say.

    And of course just *how* such a rule could be enforced or even 
verified for that matter would be another good question.

    I wouldn't be too surprised if they have the same reaction that I do 
when I am asked questions about canoes in the middle of a river on a 
county line, and want to know if that constitutes a maritime mobile 
county line station. 8^) And that is "Are you people in this to have 
some friendly competition, or to try to play "Stump the Sponsor""?

    - 73 de Mike KB3EIA -