[CQ-Contest] Ban all contest spotting?

[Felipe J Hernandez]

This thing repeats itself every year, If we look at this from the reality side 
a solution is simple:

1. Packet is used by lots of people and many enjoy it, gives them immediate gratification
zero wait, a chance to try their station in a pile up etc.. packet is not going away.. we cannot criminalize it!

2. Its been proven that the top single ops without packet have neven been beaten by an 
assisted operator. UNLESS of course you think that the top single ops, do use packet
and they are cheaters too.. IN response to that I can attest that I had the opportunity to sit
behind N5TJ on his both record breaking cw/ssb operations from my QTH and that superb score was done
with pure passing mults and lots of two radio operation... so im absolutely certain
that you dont win with packet or at least break records.

Based on this we can safely add packet to the SO class and not worry about it,  if a top operator feels he need it 
more power to him, is just another strategy like making qsos before the contest and announcing their operation , the propagation charts, the expensive so2r boxes, the instant qsy amps and so on..

Turn the assisted class into a more skillfull category, 
That way the assisted category can grow with more experimentation, remote receivers, skimmer,
self spotting, pre contest advertising , twitter or whatever technology enhances one single operator.
It will become more significant as a class, not like today where operators just send the log and claim 
whatever just because there was a slot that would qualify them for an award.

Certainly doing this is simpler than going around DQing people, sending official observers to monitor top operators and  having this discussion everyyear until december when it fades away until the results come out.

73's

Felipe
NP4Z
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ed K1EP 
  To: Glenn Wyant ; CQ-Contest at contesting.com 
  Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 7:40 AM
  Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Ban all contest spotting?


  At 11/2/2009 02:11 PM, Glenn Wyant wrote:

  >Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Ban all contest spotting?
  >
  > >I propose that those who dont want clusters; that they dont use them.
  > >
  > > I propose that those who like using clusters ; use them.
  > >
  > > Assuming they claim the proper category , IF they submit a contest entry.
  > >
  > > I am one of those low-life ,  cripples that uses the cluster ( assisted )
  > > now and then , sorry to those who wish control my operating preferences.
  > >
  > > Glenn VA3DX

  For me, as a low power non-assisted contester, the use of packet in a 
  contest is not merely an argument of whether it is a crutch or not, 
  it affects the way I contest, even though I do not use it.  Packet in 
  a contest creates "packet pileups".  Once a sought after station is 
  spotted, a tremendous, sometimes unruly, pileup ensues.  As an 
  unassisted low power contester, I seek out the DX by tuning.  When I 
  find one, I would like the opportunity to work him without hundreds 
  of packet people descending upon him.  If, on the other hand, I am 
  running and spotted incorrectly, I will all of a sudden have a flood 
  of eager contesters calling me.  Many will have already worked me and 
  be dupes.  This causes me to either QSY or work many dupes and reduce 
  my effective rate.  So, the use of packet it not an isolated event, 
  it just doesn't help or assist the operator using it, it affects all 
  the other contesters.  Whether these effects are beneficial or not 
  should be the discussion.  If packet could be used by an assisted 
  operator without affecting others, then I am all for it.  In reality, 
  that isn't the case.

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