[CQ-Contest] Answering an age-old question

[Pete Smith]

The most recent CQWWCW contest was the first in which the Reverse Beacon 
Network (http://skimmer.dxwatch.com) was using version 1.3 of CW Skimmer, 
which reports the signal-to-noise ratio of stations received by each 
Skimmer-equipped beacon station.  It dawned on us that this offers, for the 
first time, the opportunity to answer the age-old question, "Whose [signal] 
is bigger."

Some examples:

Skimmer   Freq.    Call    Date/Time     SNR
SV8RV-2 | 7008.1 | N3RS  | 2355z 30 Nov |  4
SV8RV-2 | 7018.2 | KC1XX | 2352z 30 Nov |  4
SV8RV-2 | 7006.3 | W3LPL | 2348z 30 Nov |  4

or

SV8RV-2 | 7017.3 | K3LR  | 2232z 30 Nov |  3
SV8RV-2 | 7006.3 | W3LPL | 2230z 30 Nov |  3
SV8RV-2 | 7012.6 | KC1XX | 2226z 30 Nov |  2
SV8RV-2 | 7008.1 | N3RS  | 2224z 30 Nov |  2

or how about this:

SV8RV-2 | 7024.6 | W3LPL | 0559z 30 Nov | 18
SV8RV-2 | 7005.6 | W1KM  | 0558z 30 Nov | 12
SV8RV-2 | 7006.1 | K3LR  | 0555z 30 Nov |  9
SV8RV-2 | 7024.6 | K3LR  | 0555z 30 Nov | 17
SV8RV-2 | 7031.3 | N3RS  | 0555z 30 Nov | 11
SV8RV-2 | 7024.4 | N3RS  | 0554z 30 Nov | 10
SV8RV-2 |   7007 | KC1XX | 0554z 30 Nov | 10
SV8RV-2 | 7010.2 | K1TTT | 0553z 30 Nov |  8
SV8RV-2 | 7005.2 | NQ4I  | 0551z 30 Nov | 13

Felipe, PY1NB is working on an on-line query that will allow anyone who is 
interested to ask for comparison among the signals of up to 5 stations at a 
given reverse beacon location on a given band.  We'll announce it shortly, 
I hope.

Of course, we're not unaware of the limitations - QSB or even short time 
intervals between reports could affect relative signal strengths as 
reported at the moment the call-sign was decoded.  Still, it is better than 
anything we have had before for this purpose.

In the meantime, here's another possible use of the capability.  Say you 
want to compare two antennas at a given time to a given area of the 
world.  You can check at http://skimmer.dxwatch.com to find out what 
reverse beacons are active in your target area, and assuming there is one, 
simply call CQ on antenna A, change frequency slightly, and call CQ on 
antenna B.  If you're being heard at all by the reverse beacon, it will 
report the signal-to-noise ratios of the two CQs, and you can find them 
with a simple query on the site using your call-sign.

Enjoy.


73, Pete N4ZR
the World Contest Station Database is back...
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