[CQ-Contest] When do we spot? Should it be required?

Wed Oct 28 10:43:57 EDT 2015

I think you are overlooking a big difference between CW & SSB contests - 
the number of channels available. To the extent that self spotting would 
enable more "2nd tier" contesters to hold frequencies for longer 
periods, that would reduce the number of frequencies available for the 
lower tiers.

Lower sunspot numbers will make this worse on the high bands.

I am neither for nor against the proposal, but it could have the above, 
probably unintended consequence.  To the extent that lower tier contest 
stations are prevented from the fun of CQing, it could harm SSB contesting.

73,
Tom

On 10/28/2015 9:35 AM, Maarten van Rossum wrote:
> If you send your call in CW you get a spot right away. It is virtually the
> same as self spotting. So, why not allow self spotting for SSB?
>
> The first thing I think we must ask ourselves is what the downsides are of
> allowing self spotting?
> - The DX cluster essentially is for spotting DX. But what is the definition
> of DX? What "DX" means to you might be very different then what "DX" means
> to me. If I look at the cluster right now it seems to me that it no longer
> is a proper "DX" cluster. If self spotting was allowed, will it still be a
> DX cluster? Not really but that could be overcome by setting certain
> filters, for instance blocking self spots.
> - Could the huge amount of self spots overload the system? I don't think
> so. The RBN doesn't overload or does it? Again, you can set filters to
> limit the amount of spots that you receive.
> - Would their be a certain group of contesters that would benefit more from
> self spotting then others? I think it is rather the opposite. Station who
> have benefited from "cheerleaders" in the past would no longer have the
> advantage.
>
> Am I overlooking something? Let's hear it.
>
> I'm not an expert contester and most ops on this reflector have more years
> of contesting under their belts then I am old. But that doesn't necessarily
> have to be a bad thing.
>
> 73, Maarten PD2R
> (op @ PI4DX)
>
>
>
>
> 2015-10-28 4:06 GMT+01:00 Stan Stockton <wa5rtg at gmail.com>:
>
>> There should be a rule allowing the software to automatically submit a
>> self spot after you have logged perhaps three QSOs on the same frequency -
>> same rule for everyone.  After all, when you call CQ on CW you are, in
>> effect, self spotting.
>>
>> There is a huge advantage in being spotted and, on SSB, there is a huge
>> difference in the number of spots for different stations giving advantage
>> to those who are spotted frequently and quickly after a frequency change.
>>
>> 73... Stan, K5GO
>>
>>> On Oct 26, 2015, at 9:29 PM, Randy Thompson K5ZD <k5zd at charter.net>
>> wrote:
>>> I am not sure where the prohibition against asking to be spotted came
>> from.
>>> Perhaps it is time to remove that from the rules?  Or go even one step
>> more
>>> and allow self-spotting.
>>>
>>> We sure noticed the lack of rate until after a spot here at PJ4Q this
>>> weekend.
>>>
>>> Randy, K5ZD
>>>
>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: CQ-Contest [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf
>> Of
>>>> Peter Dougherty (W2IRT)
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2015 1:15 AM
>>>> To: cq-contest at contesting.com
>>>> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] When do we spot? Should it be required?
>>>>
>>>> As a stateside op who likes to run I'm often frustrated by the lack of
>>>> spots generated by DX stations for guys on this side. I don't like the
>>>> rule about being unable to ask to be spotted but I'll never violate it.
>>>> What I *might* say to a caller, if I'm CQing to generally dead air, is
>>>> "thanks for the call, it was gettin' pretty lonely here." Once in a very
>>>> long while someone will give me a sympathy spot. And if not, I'll just
>>>> try to find a new fishing hole. If it were permitted to ask for spots I
>>>> bet the average score amongst mid-sized stations would go up by a
>> million
>>>> or two per contest due to longer runs.
>>>>
>>>> When it comes to me spotting I have the "spot all S&P QSOs" feature
>>>> turned on in N1MM. This spots any QSO that didn't appear in my bandmap
>>>> that I enter manually. I doesn't re-spot posted calls, however. I wish
>>>> that feature was set to on by default or would stay on once engaged but
>>>> that's a policy decision by Tom and his crew.
>>>>
>>>> I try to remember to spot my fellow FRCers when I run across them, and
>>>> I'm extremely grateful when one spots me in return, but at the end of
>> the
>>>> day, it seems that EU and Caribbean stations will be spotted far more
>>>> than US stations. In my own case, I was spotted 15 times during CQWW but
>>>> a quick search of a few of the Caribbean powerhouses with well over 100
>>>> spots. It's no wonder they never run out of callers!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ---------------------------------------------
>>>> GO FRC!
>>>> Peter, W2IRT
>>>>
>>>> www.facebook.com/W2IRT
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: CQ-Contest [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf
>> Of
>>>> Edward Sawyer
>>>> Sent: Monday, October 26, 2015 2:23 PM
>>>> To: cq-contest at contesting.com
>>>> Subject: [CQ-Contest] When do we spot? Should it be required?
>>>>
>>>> Taking a look at my spots this morning.  It is very surprisng when you
>>>> are spotted and when you are not spotted according to DX Summit.  Are
>>>> there other locations where spots exist on SSB that is not shown here?
>> I
>>>> had a number of runs during the contest and was never spotted according
>>>> to DX Summit.  A nice JA run on 15M and very loud and fast 20M run to EU
>>>> on Sunday afternoon, neither of these ever appear despite producing
>>>> probably 400+ Qs in the log over a few hours.
>>>>
>>>> With CW, the RBN system is an effiient harvester of signals that
>>>> basically instantly populates the band map with spots.
>>>> There is no such system on SSB.
>>>>
>>>> The major contests call asking to be spotted a violation. Every contest,
>>>> I either hear or am asked a few times regardless.  I am very fine with
>>>> this being considered unsportsmanlike.  However, with the increasing
>>>> number of contesters having a contest experience that is nothing more
>>>> than clicking on spots, its becoming equally unfair for stations to be
>>>> spotted in very disproportionate frequencies.
>>>>
>>>> I put this question to the contest sponsors and the assisted and
>> multi-op
>>>> contest community: What is your responsibilty to make spots of stations?
>>>> Are you just a harvester?  Or do you contribute to the process?  It
>> would
>>>> seem to be in everyone's interest that doesn't "spin the dial" much, or
>>>> at all, anymore to make sure that the interaction is bi-lateral.
>>>>
>>>> Should a minimum spotting requirement be added?  We have a minimum ID
>>>> requirement in CQ major contests?  How about a minimum spotting
>>>> submission requirement for those using the system?
>>>>
>>>> I personally like the unassisted experience.  But being a "ghost"
>>>> in the bandmap world doesn't help anyone in contesting anymore.
>>>>
>>>> 73
>>>>
>>>> Ed N1UR
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