[CQ-Contest] cqcontest.net
Richard F DiDonna NN3W
richnn3w at verizon.net
Tue Apr 5 10:41:26 EDT 2016
This discussion seems to come up every season.
We seem to go from being very 30,000 feet to very granular in our
approaches and then swing the other direction.
Some say that getting any information other than from what you can get
on the radio is assistance.
Some say that unless you are given the callsign, the frequency, and the
mode of operation, nothing is assistance.
Clearly the truth is somewhere in between with the current battle
focused on whether contest scoreboards are assistance.
I like scoreboards, they give real time information on your competition
and create fun and excitement. For those of you who rue the loss of
"youth" in contesting, the existence of real time scoreboards actually
has an appeal to contesters of a younger generation.
That being said, with the right information, I can very easily see how
getting information for a scoreboard (as long as it is detailed
breakdown information) could be assistance. For example, for USA hams
in marginal sunspot years, when the first morning of a 48 hour contest
hits, real internal struggles brew amongst SO entrants as to if and when
to move to 15 or 10. If you see a competitor has suddenly started
racking up QSOs on 10 meters while you are on 20 or 15, you've clearly
had information brought to your attention that may indeed modify your
behavior. No, you didn't receive information on specific QSOs or
callsigns, but your behavior has changed because you are now thinking
that someone else is beating you to the punch. Some would call that
assistance; others would not.
How about this: the technology adherents would say that unless you are
given specific information on callsigns AND frequency, there is no
assistance. Fine, how about just callsigns? I can see a skimmer being
modified to simply post what callsigns are active on a band. You have to
find them, but you've been alerted that a band is open. That's a big
benefit in low sunspot years. Conversely, you could use the same
technology on 160 when folks go to 160 at the top of the hour.
See where this is going???
My assessment of what constitutes assistance would be information that
gives you data concerning specific callsigns OR frequencies OR provides
information regarding the operating patterns of other operators.
I mention these items because I believe the definitions of "not
connected" reach absurd levels. I have no problems with using the
Internet to look at www.weather.com to see if a storm is coming or using
Spaceweather to look at where the auroral oval is situated. I have no
problems watching TV during a game and recognizing that on Sweepstakes
Sunday, the rates are about to tank because its 12:55 pm and the first
football games of the day are about to kick off.
What I think makes one assisted are discrete sets of information that
cause you to dramatically alter your operating behavior (packet spots,
recognizing your competitor went fishing on 10 meters, etc.). I feel
that WWV is generalized enough that it affects you generally, but you're
not likely to make a split band change because of it.
73 Rich NN3W
On 4/5/2016 8:25 AM, Paul O'Kane wrote:
> On 05/04/2016 11:54, Pete Smith N4ZR wrote:
>
>> Sorry, Ron, but I totally disagree. If it doesn't *assist* someone
>> to watch a scoreboard without band breakdown information (and it
>> doesn't), then it is not *assistance*.
>
> We're going round in circles here with everyone
> interpreting "assist", "assistance" and "Assisted"
> as they, personally, think it should be defined.
>
> All relevant technology assists.
>
> The main difference between the "Assisted" and
> "Unassisted" categories has always been whether you
> connect to external networks to improve your score
> or gain a competitive advantage.
>
> That's why, IMHO, the categories should change to
> Connected and Unconnected. That would appear to
> remove most uncertainty and ambiguity.
>
> * You use the cluster - you're Connected.
> * You use the RBN - you're Connected.
> * You use real-time scoreboards, or any other
> networked technology, to influence or
> modify your strategy - you're Connected.
>
> It's really simple - you're either Connected or
> Unconnected.
>
> I know and accept that local decoders and skimmer-
> like technology would continue to be "Connected".
> That's why I referred to "the main difference"
> above.
>
> 73,
> Paul EI5DI
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>
>> 73, Pete N4ZR
>> Download the new N1MM Logger+ at
>> <http://N1MM.hamdocs.com>. Check
>> out the Reverse Beacon Network at
>> <http://reversebeacon.net>, now
>> spotting RTTY activity worldwide.
>> For spots, please use your favorite
>> "retail" DX cluster.
>>
>> On 4/5/2016 12:52 AM, Fco. Luis Delgadillo wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> Enviado desde mi Huawei de Telcel
>>> Ron
>>> A couple of questions:
>>>
>>> Have you tried yourself the live scoreboard.
>>>
>>> The Best way to finding out, is perhaps, if you try the scoreboard
>>> and then have an informed opinion - to discern facts from gut feelings?
>>>
>>> -------- Mensaje original --------
>>> Asunto: Re: [CQ-Contest] cqcontest.net
>>> De: Ron Notarius W3WN
>>> Para: 'Pete Smith N4ZR' ,'CQ Contest'
>>> CC:
>>>
>>>
>>> But here's the thing Pete.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> When you receive that information. how did you get it? Where did
>>> it come
>>> from? You said yourself. "You must decide to post your score"
>>> and what
>>> other information is to be posted for use by other operators.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> So ultimately, the answer is. it came from other operators who are
>>> posting
>>> that information. How is that not assisted?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Look, I don't have a problem with the scoreboard or similar
>>> exchanges of
>>> information. I'm not saying that the software that provides the
>>> capability
>>> should be disabled.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Just please don't tell me that it's not "assisted" and using it
>>> doesn't put
>>> you into an Assisted or equivalent operating category. It is. (Or
>>> to put
>>> it in the vernacular, don't spill a drink on my slacks and then
>>> tell me it's
>>> raining.)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Sometimes I operate Single Op/Assisted. Sometimes I don't. The
>>> reasons why
>>> vary depending on the event in question and how I am choosing to
>>> approach
>>> it. I'm comfortable with either category these days. I just don't
>>> pretend
>>> one is the other. And I don't ask that the line between them be
>>> blurred.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Either you are assisted. or you aren't. It is that simple.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 73, ron w3wn
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _____
>>>
>>> From: Pete Smith N4ZR [mailto:n4zr at contesting.com]
>>> Sent: Monday, April 04, 2016 4:01 PM
>>> To: Ron Notarius W3WN; CQ Contest
>>> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] cqcontest.net
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Ron, at least in the case of cqcontest.net and users of MM+, this
>>> isn't
>>> true. You must decideB to post your score, and you can decide
>>> (in MM+)
>>> whether or not to include a band breakdown.B Without band
>>> information,
>>> access to this resource is nothing but fun, and should not be
>>> considered
>>> assistance.B Perhaps the sponsors could voluntarily disable the
>>> band
>>> breakdown display during contest weekends, and the whole issue
>>> would go
>>> away.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 73, Pete N4ZR
>>> Download the new N1MM Logger+ at
>>> . Check
>>> out the Reverse Beacon Network at
>>> , now
>>> spotting RTTY activity worldwide.
>>> For spots, please use your favorite
>>> "retail" DX cluster.
>>>
>>> On 4/4/2016 8:16 AM, Ron Notarius W3WN wrote:
>>>
>>> ...The scoreboard is directly based on spotting information.
>>> Therefore,
>>> information derived from it is (IMHO) assistance for the purposes
>>> of most
>>> contests that recognize this category.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ---
>>> This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus
>>> software.
>>> https://www.avast.com/antivirus
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> CQ-Contest mailing list
>>> CQ-Contest at contesting.com
>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> CQ-Contest mailing list
>> CQ-Contest at contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
>>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> CQ-Contest mailing list
> CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
>
More information about the CQ-Contest
mailing list