[CQ-Contest] Convergence and Change

[Zack Widup]

I like this. My concept of "assisted" has always been receiving real-time
help external to your station that actually contributes to your directly
working a station. Receiving band, frequency and time info on other
stations such as via radio packet, internet packetcluster, phone calls,
spotting networks of any kind, other internet sources or other radio
sources than the station you're working is assisted. Having a station
publish a schedule of frequencies and times to be used during a contest
prior to the contest is not assisted (who knows if they will actually make
it?).  Getting WWV propagation info is not assisted because it doesn't
directly contribute to a QSO. Anything within your own station that shows
you where stations are at, such as band scopes, is not assisted because
it's within your station.  You would find them anyway by tuning the knob,
wouldn't you? Maybe every receiver with a knob should be classified as
assisted?

These are my own ideas of the concept. So I like the idea of the terms
"connected" and "unconnected" (to whatever source external to your station,
be it internet, radio packet, phone calls, etc.). They are more descriptive.

73, Zack W9SZ

On Wed, May 18, 2016 at 4:14 AM, Paul O'Kane <pokane at ei5di.com> wrote:

> On 18/05/2016 03:27, Jack Haverty wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
> In other words, Unassisted means you use only ham radio; assisted means
>> you may use other forms of communications as well.
>>
>
>
> Jack has summed up the issue nicely.  However, the words
> "Assisted" and "Unassisted" do not, in themselves, help
> to distinguish between the two categories. That's because
> all relevant technology assists one way or another.
>
> If the categories were to be described as "Connected" and
> "Unconnected", they would become self-explanatory.
>
> We've had "Assisted" and "Unassisted" for 30 years or so.
> Let's acknowledge that nowadays, for most practical purposes,
> the difference boils down to whether or not we connect to
> the internet to find some stations.
>
> There is one exception.  Local Skimmers would continue to
> be classed as Connected where their effect (or benefit) is
> exactly the same as cluster and RBN - they provide spots
> (both callsign and frequency) for stations you might want
> to work for points.
>
> Why not call it what it is - Connected and Unconnected?
>
> 73,
> Paul EI5DI
>
>
>
>
>
>
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