[CQ-Contest] Determining ASSISTED vs NON-ASSISTED -- was: =>RE: Cheating and bad journalism

[Paul O'Kane]

On 24/09/2011 16:15, JVarney wrote:

> Maybe what could be done is to have two categories:
> Single Operator, where all tools such as Skimmer, clusters,
> panadapters, etc. are permitted; and Single Operator
> Traditional Radio, where manual VFO tuning is required
> and human, visual band display, internet, and packet
> assistance are all prohibited.


The difference between Assisted and Non-Assisted has
two components - the use of either or both changes a
single-op enrty from Non-Assisted to Assisted.

The first is the use of spotting nets.  Why?  Because
the operator gets real-time operating help from other
people.  It's multi-op in all but name, and this
applies to all modes.

On the other hand, the use of tools, any tools, does
not make a single-op a multi-op.  What, then, is
different about Skimmer, a CW tool, that contest
organisers class it as "Assisted"?  It's the fact
that the use of a multi-channel CW decoder (Skimmer)
reduces CW to the status of just another data mode.

Skimmer changes the nature of CW contests.  It is
inappropriate in CW contests, just as a pole is
inappropriate in high-jump contests.

Some readers may say this is nonsense.  We already
allow single-channel CW decoders in CW contests, and
multi-channel decoders simply represent advances in
technology.  To this I say that anyone who needs a
CW decoder has no business being in a CW contest -
because they don't know CW.

73,
Paul EI5DI