[CQ-Contest] Use of CW decoders in contests

[Rick Lindquist, WW3DE]

I'm with Ryan on this one, and I'm a mostly CW op going back more than a half-century now. We don't impose restrictions or recategorize ops who use software to SEND CW exchanges; why should using software to decode it be any different?

73, Rick / WW3DE

Sent from my iPad

On May 26, 2010, at 21:18, Ryan Jairam <rjairam at gmail.com> wrote:

> I see no harm in allowing CWGet or similar and quite honestly I don't
> see the point of banning it other than to force people to learn to
> copy CW to take part in your contest.
> 
> And, IMO if you disallow these sorts of decoders you will discourage
> some newer ops from taking part. I don't see your average winner or
> top 10 using CWGet by itself. They will be mostly head copy.
> 
> Rather, it's some of the new guys who use CW copying software.  And
> maybe if they get hooked they will probably try to learn to copy CW
> because that is how you increase your score.
> 
> Ryan, N2RJ - a user of CWGet occasionally but I don't need it.
> 
> 
> 
> On Wed, May 26, 2010 at 7:56 PM, Tom Macon <tmacon at wi.rr.com> wrote:
>> We are having a discussion in our club regarding the use of CW decoder
>> programs in contests, especially smaller ones like state QSO parties.  I'm
>> referring to CW copying programs like CWget or DM780, not Skimmer.  I'm
>> looking for some outside input - here are some specific questions on which
>> we have differences of opinion.
>> 
>>  - Should the use of CW decoders be disallowed by sponsors, or should there
>> be a separate entry category for entrants that use them?
>> 
>>  - Can CW entries that use  a decoder be considered digital entries?
>> 
>>  - Have any contests disallowed CW decoders or put them in a separate entry
>> category?
>> 
>>  - If a contest introduced such rules, how might it affect the perception of
>> that contest in the contest community?
>> 
>> Any comments appreciated!
>>  - Tom, K9BTQ
>> WARAC
>> 
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>> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Ryan A. Jairam,
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