[CQ-Contest] CQWW Assisted - Is it just another Urban Myth

[Paul O'Kane]

On 01/08/2017 23:13, Holger at 9h3m.com wrote:
> No top operator in any contest is unassisted!

It's clear that ZL3IO/ZM4T doesn't understand the difference
between Assisted and Unassisted.

When we use generally available spotting information
(frequency and call) over public networks from any source,
whether people or RBN, we are Assisted.

Additionally, we are Assisted when we use a local
Skimmer to provide spots.

Otherwise, we are Unassisted.

>   The moment you get spotted by any skimmer or other Ham you get assistance!

That's correct, just as we get assistance from greater
activity and better propagation and better equipment,
not to mention our acquired ability to find stations
and work pileups.  None of this makes us Assisted.

> Only because you don't use the cluster at your station does not make you unassisted.

Wrong!  When you are not Assisted, as described, you
are Unassisted.


> I would like to see this acknowledged by more organisers in combining assisted and unassisted classes. In my eyes not doing this is cheating already! Especially since it is impossible to control this.

ZL3IO, presumably, has made the choice to operated Assisted.
Unassisted operators prefer to to find other stations all by
themselves. How other people find us, the Unassisted operators,
is their business.

> Unassisted is established as the premium over assisted.

And why not?  Unassisted operators are generally better at
finding stations to work all by themselves.

>   Look at the forms of awarding and acknowledging results. There is a tone of discrimination when it comes to assisted class.

Correct - what's your point?

> We down in the Pacific know exactly about the power of cluster spots as only after we get spotted we have runs!!! No one points antennas towards us otherwise. If I do unassisted I can tell when I got spotted. I can even tell you if it was a skimmer or dx-cluster.

Good for you.

> If you can't arrange to block unassisted claiming operators from getting spotted on any network you are operating assisted no matter what you claim.

Nonsense. We all all assisted by things that are beyond our
control.  They do not make us Assisted.

> Pleas stop lying to yourself!

Please try to be better informed.

73,
Paul EI5DI