[CQ-Contest] Doug's famous Spot Remover FREE...but wait, there's more!

[Sandy Farley]

Eric Hilding <dx35 at hilding.com> wrote:    Doug, KR2Q, wrote:

> Okay... I can't resist (forgive me).
>
> During a contest (or all the time?), the spotting software should be changed
> so that only the PREFIX is accepted/transmitted. That way, everybody would
> have to copy the call on their own. NO errors in spotting, no CORRECTIONS needed.
>
> This way, you still don't have to find the MULT on your own (ashame), but you DO
> have to actually COPY THE CALL (cw and ssb) on your own.
>
> I know...dream on.

IMHO, Doug is more of a true "Visionary" than a Dreamer, and his suggestion is a brilliant idea. I think even my good friend Jim Neiger/N6TJ might endorse this too :-)

Bringing people back to having to actually copy what they hear (or at least part of it) can only help improve Contesting skills in general, and get many out of the "Slouch Potatoe" mode of operating.

However, there's one glitch I see to be overcome: If you've worked ZL1XXX and there are still 4 other ZL1's to be had in the Contest, just seeing the ZL1 prefix post *could* bring you full circle back to ZL1XXX who was already worked, and then valuable time will have been lost once you discover you don't need *that* particular "ZL1".

What came to mind was just allowing the first character after the prefix number to show, but of course, for stations like 5A7A, 6Y2A, etc., etc., the cat would still be fully out of the bag.

Gotta be a way to take your basic idea and still make it work I'm sure, unless the logging software could validate the "hidden" (missing") characters after a Prefix number and yield a "Worked Before" :-) This would be a necessity considering some of the LID operators who don't ID for 10 or 20 QSOs ;-(

73...

Rick, K6VVA
   
   
  OK Rick, and esteemed reflectees;
   
  If the main packet engine software (not sure if I'm conveying the correct description, but hopefully you understand) concealed the details of the call sign and posted only unique ZL1's, then this concept might work.  What the packet user would see is four ZL1s listed, indicating four *unique* ZL1spots and no additional info.  Reposting a ZL1 call already recognized by the packet engine then would remove the earlier indentical post.
   
  I'm not a packet geek, so I have no clue whether or not that would be viable.
   
  Back to work now......
   
  73, Sandy N7RQ