[CQ-Contest] Skimmer vs. assisted

[Kelly Taylor]

Hi all,

I agree that with some contests, there is a grey area regarding whether 
Skimmer constitutes assistance.

However, there is no grey area, no splitting of hairs when it comes to CQ WW 
and WPX.

Both contests classify as assisted an operator who is using "DX alerting 
assistance OF ANY KIND." (Emphasis added.) The rule goes on to say that it 
includes packet, cluster, nets involving other individuals, but it does not 
limit the description to those forms of assistance. At the end of the day, 
nothing in that rule overrides the OF ANY KIND bit. Nor does the fact that 
historic precedent has been that assistance is a form of packet or spots 
from other stations.

It does not say DX alerting assistance only when it involves other people. 
It does not say DX alerting assistance unless it's a piece of hardware in 
your own shack. It says of any kind.

I would suggest the ARRL CAC has some work to do, as it could be argued that 
the rules of ARRL contests do not restrict Skimmer use. I simply cannot see 
how something that finds the stations for you AND decodes their callsigns 
isn't assistance.

(The argument that the description of assistance could then be transferred 
to receivers and rotator control boxes and amplifiers is spurious, at best.)

73, kelly
ve4xt