[CQ-Contest] Reverse Beacon Network News - hopefully of generalinterest

Sun Aug 12 09:02:19 PDT 2012

Hi guys.
I had to contact a RBN server owner while ago, because LU stations
seemed not to be spotted by his machine on any band.
He told me that he had set up a filter for that purpose since there
were too many LU stations active during major contests.
That's true indeed, but on 20 meters and below we really struggle to
get a running frequency and keep it going for a short while. On 40 m
and below LU stations active and workable are not that many at all.

So he kindly agreed to take that into account to tweak the filter in
his server. That was really cool!

However, please understand that being thousands miles away from the
US, EU and JA sometimes, forces us to do things we don't really like
at all, like working split. Someone may think: what does this LU have
in his head working split, when LU is such a very common DX nowadays;
but reality is, pile-ups become unmanageable on the low bands
(specially on 80 m) and our often weak signals cannot handle the herd
calling.

Just as an example:

OH2WI           3531.0 LP1H         ZONE 13, UP!
0446 30 Nov
OH2WI-@         3531.0 LP1H         ZONE 13, UP!
0446 30 Nov
VE6WZ           3531.3 LP1H         up
0442 30 Nov

Working split was the only way out to give out LU on 80 to as many
stations as possible during that short opening during the 2008. CQWW
DX CW.

I think technology presents new challenges and new opportunities. It
is hard for me to see a software developer so against new technology
when he developed a logging software himself. Someone could have said
sort of the the same thing twenty years ago, complaining about
computers being "extra help" against the true nature oft  Ye olde
fashioned contester who had to do the logging with a pen and paper,
keeping the dupe sheet updated, not having propagation software to
help plan ahead the strategy and things like that. (I did it myself
the old fashioned way from 1985 till 1994 and it was fun!)

Once again, I would like to say that the distinction between single
ops and single ops "assisted" is not necessary. Despite the great job
being done by contest organizers to detect cheaters, people are still
using the DX clusters in many ways, and it certainly is not detectable
to the extent that you can tell when someone was using it to just to
work a few mults or having used it for just making sure he/she doesn't
miss that little strange opening on 10.

The WAEDC is a contest where such distinction does not exist and, I
guess not many can say it is not one of the most important and
funniest contests of the calendar.  Removing something that creates an
unfair advantage in favor of those who do not claim using a tool, did
not hurt at all to this contest. Participation just keeps growing year
after year and the quality of the operators taking part is among the
highest.

Now. I see a station has been DQed by CQ last year for having multiple
signals being transmitted at the same time. This same station had the
highest multiplier total in a IARU HF Championship some years ago. He
had even more mults than many HQ stations! And he still claimed being
single op!! He kept doing that for years and finally was caught for
some other reason, but not for using the DX Cluster.

Not saying using packet cluster makes you achieve a greater score or
that is it a lot more fun than just not using it. In fact it is not
"more fun" than not using it, and the sense of achievement when
working a mult is not the same as if you were not using it, Not
falling in the assisted definition issue either by saying the SCP
feature in logging software is also an "assistance", it presents
information to you that may force you decide whether or not who is
actually calling you in the middle of the QRM/QRN!. It simply presents
information and you "the op" have to decide whether is right or wrong
to log it. Just like the DX Cluster, it simply presents information to
you on your screen and it is up to you "the operator" to make the
right decision. Nobody is making the QSO for you. But well, anyways,
that's not the point now, principally because it implies a different
type of operating technique that it is also hard to master. Sometimes
you find yourself being more a DXer than a contester and that hurts
the score in a big way! But it certainly IS an advantage being used by
someone at a top DX spot running stations as hell and knowing where
those few extra mults are. He already knows how to work them without
being caught.

Hopefully a day will come when this unnecessary distinction is removed
from major contests and the use of a tool becomes just a matter of a
decision made by the op, based on his likes and dislikes, eliminating
the need for contest organizers to spend precious time trying to catch
cheaters (hardly being caught) and allowing them to focus on more
important things like finding ways to more effectively attract young
hams to contesting or the like.

Vy73.

Martin, LU5DX

On Sun, Aug 12, 2012 at 8:18 AM, Pete Smith N4ZR <n4zr at contesting.com> wrote:
> Good point, Tim.  In fact, there's another easy way.  If you don't want
> to be spotted by Skimmers, don't send CQ or TEST or "UP x", because
> these are three triggers that will tell Skimmer that you're running.  If
> I recall N6TJ's normal practice at ZD8Z, he won't be spotted after he
> moves to a frequency anyway, because the only thing he sends between
> QSOs is his callsign.  Of course, he'll miss out on some percentage of
> QSOs with casual ops, but everything has a price.
>
> 73, Pete N4ZR
> The World Contest Station Database, at www.conteststations.com
> The Reverse Beacon Network at http://reversebeacon.net, blog at reversebeacon.blogspot.com,
> spots at telnet.reversebeacon.net, port 7000 and
> arcluster.reversebeacon.net, port 7000
>
> On 8/11/2012 3:09 PM, Timothy Coker wrote:
>> Everyone has different operating preferences and preferences on whether or
>> not they should be spotted. If anyone doesn't want my skimmer to spot them
>> then a simple email to me with your call sign to be used can easily be
>> added to the blacklist on my server so that my equipment doesn't spot you.
>>
>> I personally like skimmer servers (pretty obvious since I own a server) but
>> I also understand that poor operating practices by some individuals
>> utilizing the servers output can really create a mess in a hurry. However,
>> good operating techniques, listening, etc. is, in my opinion, the answer
>> for those who choose to play assisted or at a multi-op. No difference there
>> when compared to when one plays unassisted. It's poor operating practices
>> that create the mess... the spot just leads the poor operator(s) to the
>> station running as it also leads some of the good assisted operators to the
>> station running.
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> Tim / N6WIN
>>
>> http://www.n6win.com
>>
>> On Sat, Aug 11, 2012 at 10:45 AM, Jim Neiger <n6tj at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>
>>> Indeed.  Let's make sure everyone in the pile-ups are calling on exactly
>>> the
>>> SAME FREQUENCY !!  That will undoubtedly help our rates, and the number
>>> that
>>> ultimately make it into the log.
>>>   Packet was bad enough.  Your skimmer is a night-mare.
>>>
>>> Jim Neiger  N6TJ
>>>
>>> p.s.  I will be listening up 2 to 5 from 9Y4W in November.  Pete, please
>>> call me exactly on my frequency; that will help clear out the pile-up
>>> above.
>>>
>>> --------------------------------------------------
>>> From: "Pete Smith N4ZR" <n4zr at contesting.com>
>>> Sent: Friday, August 10, 2012 5:49 AM
>>> To: "CQ Contest" <cq-contest at contesting.com>
>>> Subject: [CQ-Contest] Reverse Beacon Network News - hopefully of
>>> generalinterest
>>>
>>>> We've just fielded the latest release of the Aggregator - the software
>>>> that forwards spots from RBN contributors' CW Skimmers to the RBN web
>>>> server.
>>>>
>>>> I normally wouldn't announce this on a general forum like this, but the
>>>> new Aggregator has one important breakthrough feature.  Each connected
>>>> Aggregator now receives a report every 5 minutes indicating how its
>>>> receiver's frequency calibration is. This should be an important aid to
>>>> keeping the frequency calibration of RBN spots as good, we hope, as the
>>>> callsign accuracy.  Please let us know what you think.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> 73, Pete N4ZR
>>>> The World Contest Station Database, at www.conteststations.com
>>>> The Reverse Beacon Network at http://reversebeacon.net, blog at
>>>> reversebeacon.blogspot.com,
>>>> spots at telnet.reversebeacon.net, port 7000 and
>>>> arcluster.reversebeacon.net, port 7000
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>> CQ-Contest at contesting.com
>>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
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>
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