[CQ-Contest] N6TJ AXIOMS OF LIFE

[N7mal]

Paul said: "" Once amateur radio contesting becomes indistinguishable from
or inseparable from the internet, it will have ceased to be
amateur radio ""

N7MAL said, earlier this year on another list: ""The personal touch is going 
to go away and the skimmer robots will take over all the spots. IMHO that 
will be a sad day not only for the cluster system but ham-radio in general""

I think we are both being a little presumptuous. Ham-Radio will survive just 
fine, it's our little corner, DXing & Contesting, that will change 
dramatically unless someone/somehow takes a stand against the mis-use of the 
DX Cluster system during contests. The most likely candidate to make changes 
is the sponsors and it's not going to happen,,,, and we all know why.

I don't understand this new generation that has to be spoon fed everything 
during a contest. Over the years I've never had a problem finding/working 
ZD8Z, D44BC, HC8N, PJ(whatever), etc etc etc and I'm just a lil pistol. Even 
as a lil pistol I've had my own run freq during contests and all of the 
sudden my rate jumps up. Sure enough I look at the cluster and someone 
spotted me. I'll never understand it.
Which is worse the guys who must be spoon fed or the guys who are spoon 
feeding them..??..
73





MAL
N7MAL
BULLHEAD CITY, AZ
http://www.n7mal.com
Everyone in the world is
entitled to be burdened
by my opinion


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Paul O'Kane
To: CQ-Contest at contesting.com
Sent: Friday, July 16, 2010 15:25
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] N6TJ AXIOMS OF LIFE


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "K1TTT" <K1TTT at ARRL.NET>

> Only if you consider packet spotting not a part of operating.

It may be what many contesters use, but it is not a part of
amateur radio contesting, any more than cell phones or digital
cameras are a part of contesting. It is the internet, a separate
wired professional communications technology, and the shame is
that it is used to replace RF in finding or facilitating contest
QSOs.

Of course, many contesters don't acknowledge this and just
keep right on using it - they think it is normal, that there
is safety in numbers.

> By now we are all aware that packet spotting exists, it has
> existed for many years, and it will continue to be a part
> of contest operating

The internet exists, it has existed for many years, and some
operators will persist in the pretense that, somehow, it is
amateur radio.  Worse, they are spreading the pretense to
new generations of contesters.

Once amateur radio contesting becomes indistinguishable from
or inseparable from the internet, it will have ceased to be
amateur radio.

73,
Paul EI5DI