[CQ-Contest] The Skimmer Rule Challenge

[David Kopacz]

"Assistance" has always been a shorthand to define a situation 
where information was provided BY ANOTHER OPERATOR who was not 
actually making the contacts.  The "assisted" entry category was 
created as a way to avoid the need to combine those who used  
packet/internet "alerting networks" into the multi-operator, 
single-transmitter class.  "Assistance" has always been about 
the additional operator and not the presence or absence of 
productivity enhancing technology"

If this is fact, than it seems quite logical, now that we have a device
that can effectively provide the same or even better (more concise, more
relevant) spots than packet, AND the fact that we consistently see SOAB
Unassisted scores beating SOAB Assisted scores, we should simply combine
the two categories of SOAB A $ U and be done with this issue.

Let the operators choose whether they wish to find stations by tuning,
packet, skimmer or a combination of all three.

Quite frankly, upon review of prior scores for the past several years,
the SOAB U winners are clearly kicking the butts of the SOAB A guys, so
what's all the fuss?

I am willing to wager, little to nothing will change. Those that tune
the band will still beat those that use a crutch; unless of course, some
of the unassisted guys are currently cheating and using packet anyway!

David ~ KY1V