[CQ-Contest] Where to Draw the Line was: Re: Does Using ViewProp Make You Assisted

[Michael Adams]

N4ZR proposed (for reasons mentioned in his original email):

> For these reasons, I agree with Rick that the time has come for a definition
> based on the station's boundary.  However, I think the general rule should be
> "No information from beyond the station boundary, regardless ofmode of
> reception." Specific exceptions could be added, such as one for "generalized
> propagation information, such as WWV solar indices".

While I agree with the general idea that assistance comes from outside the station, I think you still need the second dimension that, for non-digital contests at least, assistance also includes someone other than the de facto operator decoding the callsign and exchange information.

I think it is perfectly reasonable to say that being able to learn, based on equipment within the station, that there are signals at 21000.05, 21000.12, 21000.23, etc. perhaps might not constitute "assistance" if you're taking a liberal definition.  That intelligence could come from your ears, from a panadapter, from an in-station SDR, or even from a skimmer display with decodes turned off.

However, once you cross the line into letting technology tell you that K3LR is at 21000.05, HK1NA is at 21000.12, D4C is at 21000.23...or that R3LA is sending you serial number 456,  then I think you've probably deviated from the classic object of a contest: to see how many stations can you copy callsign and information from within the parameters of the test?

Mind you, I don't have a problem with assistance (aside from the obvious exceptions of contests where the object/gimmick is "boy and his radio").  I love operating assisted.  But it is definitely a different style of operating than unassisted.

Perhaps in addition to a shift to defining assistance by station boundary and decoding, there needs to be a shift in terminology:  "classic"/"unlimited" rather than "unassisted"/"assisted"?

-- 
Michael Adams  N1EN
Poquonock, Connecticut  |  mda at n1en.org