[CQ-Contest] The Skimmer Rule Challenge

[Andrew]

Mike Fatchett W0MU wrote:

> Skimmer in the local shack is nothing more than an improved bandscope IMHO.

A bandscope does not alert you to DX as it does not decode the callsigns 
for you or highlight that you haven't worked them already.  Therefore a 
bandscope is not DX alerting assistance.

> You still need to verify the callsign of the stations that are shown.  You
> still need to tune to that staion, turn the beam, etc....
> 
> Spots coming in from elsewhere is completely different. 

How so?  With DXcluster spots you still have to verify the callsign of 
the stations that are shown, you still need to tune to that station, 
turn the beam etc  Sounds very what you have to do with the Skimmer output.

The key phrase (in the CQWW rules at least [1]) that the pro-skimmer 
people seem to be ignoring is "The use of DX alerting assistance of any 
kind places the station in the Single Operator Assisted category".  It's 
nothing to do with whether you have another _person_ finding the DX for 
you or not either via packet or locally, it's to do with if you get DX 
alerting assistance of _any_ kind.  Skimmer is DX alerting assistance as 
it decodes the callsigns and tells you what frequency it is on!  How is 
that not DX alerting assistance?

[1] http://cqww.com/2007_rules_cqww.pdf

Vy 73,

Andrew AC6WI (a.k.a. GI0NWG)