[CQ-Contest] Skimmer and NAQP

Jim George n3bb at mindspring.com
Fri Dec 24 05:54:15 PST 2010


I agree, and have sent a private email to Al, K0AD. The Skimmer completely 
alters the way a contest is done; it basically enables a 
packet-spotting-like operating procedure, even though the spots are 
generated from one's own station and from one's own antennas. The bandmap 
is populated. It looks the same, and it feels the same. This brings to mind 
the adage or "if it looks like a duck, flies like a duck and quacks like a 
duck, it's a duck."

This was an unfortunate decision. I don't think Al realized the power of 
Skimmer and the effect. Hopefully he will reverse this. For one, I will 
never operate a contest wherein a "single operator" is allowed to use 
packet or Skimmer.

Jim N3BB

  At 03:14 PM 12/23/2010 -0800, Tree wrote:

>I am really suprised to wake up today and find out that the CW Skimmer is
>okay to use in the NAQP.
>
>The NAQP is an echo of the old CD Parties - something many of us hold dear
>to our heart.  While there is a multi category - it is primarily a single
>operator contest.
>
>One of the skills some of the better operators have developed is the ability
>to S&P on one band while CQing on another.  This requires lots of attention.
>The better operators do it better than the average operator.
>
>Having a skimmer running totally chagnes that.  You are now presented with
>data that is as good - if not better - than packet spotting.  You can see
>all of the calls sorted by frequency and just look at the ones you haven't
>worked before.
>
>No longer is tuning a VFO required and quick determination of who is on the
>frequency and if they are a dupe or not.  Having CW Skimmer reduces the
>element of human contribution to the score.
>
>All of the CQ and ARRL contests recognize this difference.  In the case of
>the NAQP - it appears to have been done by one person - pretty much in a
>vacuum - and in an obscure way that couldn't be clearly understood from
>the rules.
>
>I think this wasn't discovered before as it simply was too absurb to
>consider.  It should be revoked before the next event.
>
>73 Tree N6TR
>tree at kkn.net
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