[CQ-Contest] The Skimmer Rule Challenge

[Tonno Vahk]

We keep hearing many smart and silly arguments in this everlasting debate
but claiming that packet does not help SO much as unassisted guys keep
dominating the assisted ones is the most ridiculous of them all. Can we
please stop it for good!

Packet is HUGE advantage and especially to top notch SO2R guys with top
stations should they choose to use it. They don't as they participate in
non-assisted class because that is were you get real credit for what you
have done in terms of developing your skills and building your stations.
There are some that have taken unfair advantage of packet gaining a lot of
mults and have been also disqualified.

Packet adds at least 10% to the score ceteris baribus if we look at well
equipped SO2R station. I have said I can make 100 mults more in CQWW with
packet and that means 15% in score. SO2R is as big advantage really and
usually also gives 15-20% increase in score but that is what we like to do.
We can keep doing something interesting instead of listening to monitor
while TXing on 1st Radio and we can really put our skills in better use.

If Skimmer acts like Packet WE DON’T LIKE IT! If Skimmer is even nearly as
efficient as the world wide spotting network now it WILL MAKE THE
UN-ASSISTED CLASS MEANINGLESS. We do everything to avoid it in this case. So
my question really is:

Is Skimmer similar to Packet in it's results on not? Can we please refrain
from this endless and meaningless debate from now (some of you guys could
though write a book on that I guess) and produce meaningful and fact based
evindence as to how efficient a skimmer can be used in one specific
location. Could we please hear from guys who actually used it in some
contests as to how it compares to packet?? Let's gather some data and decide
then. If it is indeed obvious already now that it gives similar output as
packet and is as accurate then we should of course change the un-assisted
rules ASAP and get this thing off the table.

73
tonno
es5tv


-----Original Message-----
From: cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Joe Subich, W4TV
Sent: Saturday, June 14, 2008 9:30 AM
To: wc1m at msn.com; 'cq-contesting cq-contest'
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] The Skimmer Rule Challenge

> Because it won't make any difference whether you operate in 
> one category or the other: pointing and shooting will dominate 
> the mult game.  

"Assisted" does not dominate the single operator class today. 
What makes you thing that type of operation will dominate if 
skimmer used routinely in the single operator class?  There 
are instances of very good operators entering the assisted 
class today and they still do not dominate the top single 
operator scores.