[CQ-Contest] The future of Contesting in 10 years

[Pete Smith]

I'd like to know if there is anyone out there who has actually learned the code that way.

The dark future I see is one where robots with enough computing power will, as Mario says, do SO6R without their keeper's intervention (except for paying the bills).  

I think we need a rule whose effect would be similar to the basic rule of sailboat racing - propulsion by wind only.  Maybe an exception could be made for simple code readers, but only in a Rookie class.

73, Pete N4ZR

At 09:39 AM 2/2/2007, Jimk8mr at aol.com wrote:
>In a message dated 2/2/2007 9:15:37 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, n4zr at contesting.com writes:
>In my view, amateur radio contesting needs or will soon need a new rule - only the human mind may be used for real-time extraction of intelligence from received signals.
>
>************************************
> 
>Be wary of getting what you ask for.
> 
>If there are to be any new CW operators in the future - unfortunately not a certainty - it will probably be from people combining a code reader and a speaker. Watching and listening to repetitive patterns - CQs, 5NN OH, your own callsign - will be the start of learning code as one recognizes by ear what one sees on the screen. 
> 
>I don't think many people will want to go through the work of learning the code before they operate, but some just might learn the code while they operate.
> 
> 
>73  -  Jim  K8MR