[CQ-Contest] A new "DX cluster" experience for contesters

[Mike Tessmer]

>This feed offers one huge advantage for contesters, because the RBN 
>spots *every* station it hears


Huge advantage for which contesters?

So far this discussion seems to have mostly leaned toward the viewpoint of ops from "this side" of things.  How about the guys on the "other side" of things, the ones op'ing from Less-Than-Garden-Variety DX locations?  As an occasional LTGV DX guy, I would sometimes prefer LESS spots as it would sometimes allow me to work MORE stations.

When I was in Africa last year for CQWW CW, it was terribly frustrating trying to keep a decent rate on 20m during the last few hours of the contest.  I'd find a hole in the band, work some guys at a decent clip, then "BOOM" I'm on the cluster and all hell breaks loose.  You can fight it for a while but eventually your only recourse is to start over on another frequency, work as many as you can until you're spotted again, repeat as necessary.  This is less of a problem on bands where you're hearing the DX louder than you hear most of the callers.  On a band like 20m, where you're likely to be hearing everyone else too, it quickly turns to chaos when you can't hear the DX come back to someone because of the non-stop spot pouncers who have to try to be the last one in the pile.....etc., etc.  That simply isn't much fun for the LTGV DX guy.  So maybe you can see why someone might prefer to be spotted less.

Would this RBN feed add to the problem?  Hard to say - the existing cluster is already a behemoth.  One could maybe even argue that the pileups would thin out as there would be so many more options for the Cluster Corps to chase after.  Dunno.  But it has me reevaluating traveling to LTGV DX spots for contests.  (At least during non-contest times I can send "UP")  

I'm NOT anti-cluster, anti-skimmer, anti-technology, etc.  Having a system that spots everything might be a huge boon to the scores of the guys on "this side."  It may not be equally as good for the guys on the the "other side."


73, Mike K9NW