[CQ-Contest] Keep your CTY files updated

[Steve London]

Does acceptable, pre-contest, external help include loading up your 
bandmap with internet+skimmer spots just before the contest starts, and 
then turning off the internet at 0000Z ?

This came up a number of years ago on this reflector, and I was quite 
disappointed with the response from some big-name contesters.

73,
Steve, N2IC

On 02/25/2013 07:49 AM, Zack Widup wrote:
> My understanding is that any external help you get outside of the
> contest period (before) is valid. You can make skeds before the
> contest by non-amateur means to your heart's delight. Just don't do it
> during the contest.
>
> Quite a few DXpeditions have published lists of their operating
> frequencies. Some have participated in contests. This fits into the
> same category.
>
> Those lists you mention also do, if you got them before the contest started.
>
> 73, Zack W9SZ
>
> On 2/25/13, Hank Greeb<n8xx at arrl.org>  wrote:
>> Shucks, I though "external help" wasn't permitted for the Single Op
>> categories.  Why isn't the use of a "scavenged" list of locations from
>> previous contests considered "external help?"
>>
>> All this chitter chatter about folks "illegally using" the RBN and/or DX
>> clusters when operating Single Op....  but no comment about flagrant
>> promotion of a "seemingly obvious" violation of the rules???  As
>> "Weekend Update" on "Saturday Night Live" is prone to say,  "REALLY?
>> REALLY???    REALLY?????" (Sorry, no html formatting allowed in this
>> reflector, at least not in the digest mode which I use, because of the
>> sheer volume of redundant flames which seem to be so ubiquitous.)
>>
>> Prey tell me, why is the use of all this external help NOT a violation?
>> For me, I find the "help" provided by N1MM software to be more of a
>> nuisance than useful.
>>
>> 72/73 de n8xx Hg
>> QRP>99.44% of the time
>>
>> On 2/25/2013 6:35 AM, Barry<w2up at comcast.net>  wrote:
>>> Message: 5
>>> Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2013 16:57:58 -0700
>>> From: Barry<w2up at comcast.net>
>>> To:"cq-contest at contesting.com"<cq-contest at contesting.com>
>>> Subject: [CQ-Contest] Keep your CTY files updated
>>>
>>> I hate post a non-skimmer topic, but...:-)
>>>
>>> Just reviewed by CQWW SSB UBN report.  16 stations I worked lost points
>>> for "miscopying" my zone as 5, rather than 4.
>>>
>>> For those of you who like to keep manual notes, I moved from PA to CO 3+
>>> years ago.  The keepers of the CTY files have been aware of this, and my
>>> callsign has been listed as a zone exception since I relocated.
>>>
>>> Moral of the story - Update these files regularly.
>>>
>>> Barry W2UP/0
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