[CQ-Contest] Skimmer etc.

[Julius Fazekas]

Chris and all,

This is an interesting analogy that can be taken a
step further with folks in wheel chairs who "run"
marathons.

Certainly one could say they are technologically
enhanced, but they compete in a separate category.
Everyone wins...

The Skimmer is an impressive tool and it will be used.
For some it will enhance the contesting experience,
for others it will be a tool used to mislead, it
definitely will add to the information pool, good or
bad.

It seems to me the next application will be to have
this automatically step through the bands during a
contest looking for openings that would enhance a
score. It would be less useful say in a 160M contest
or for a single band entry.

To my way of thinking, it is equivalent to having a
second op who does the leg work. As such it would be a
significant advantage and should be considered
assisted or multi-op IMHO.

73,
Julius
n2wn

--- DL8MBS <prickler.schneider at t-online.de> wrote:

> Will there be a last resort for those simply looking
> for the personal 
> challenge in a competition? Spots, Skimmer etc. of
> course can´t be 
> stopped simply for their obvious convenience. We are
> told "technology is 
> the name of the game" and it helps to maximize the
> score. But would you 
> tell a marathon runner he were an nostalgic OT
> because he stubbornly 
> refuses to use a vehicle as the better technology to
> span the 42,5km? 
> Hopefully not. Most people admire the skill and
> endurance of runners. 
> It´s the pure personal challenge. Where is it and
> where will it be in 
> contesting? I don´t think expensive station
> building, programming 
> gadgets and than clicking through the windows (with
> all workable 
> stations on the cockpit screens) should be all we
> offer newcomers. In 
> running motorvehicles didn´t stop those preferring
> the personal 
> challenge. In contesting I see the group "A boy and
> his radio" (tnx 
> K0HB) vanishing. Maybe many tech people don´t like
> personal challenges 
> so much because it is their profession to replace
> them by smooth 
> solutions (no criticism, but a possible
> explanation).
> 73, Chris
> 


Julius Fazekas
N2WN
Elecraft K2/100 #3311
Elecraft K2/100 #4455