[CQ-Contest] ARRL to allow self-spotting in contests

Thu Feb 17 13:05:47 EST 2022

Those accepted rules were already thrown out a few years ago with the
changes to the VHF contests.

73 John AF5CC

On Thu, Feb 17, 2022 at 11:49 AM Richard F DiDonna NN3W <richnn3w at gmail.com>
wrote:

> The issue here is that these changes are so fundamental and a reversal of
> what is uniformly accepted across all contest circles.
>
> #1  Thou shalt not self spot
> #2  Thou shalt not use non-amateur means of soliciting comments.
>
> Without really any feedback, an organization is saying all of what we have
> accepted as the absolute norm for radio sport no longer true.
>
> Its akin to saying that golf carts are now permissible on the PGA tour.
>
> 73 Rich NN3W
>
> On Thu, Feb 17, 2022 at 10:57 AM Sterling Mann <kawfey at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I could see that being a hackathon now, and a competitive computing
> contest
> > in the 2030s, but by the time that's really a thing, I don't think many
> on
> > this list will mind.
> >
> > "Traditional" ham radio contesting is going nowhere anytime soon, but
> it's
> > also getting us nowhere if we don't evolve.
> >
> > -Sterling
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Feb 16, 2022 at 7:14 PM Doug Renwick <ve5ra at sasktel.net> wrote:
> >
> > > Yes let's take another step further.
> > >
> > > The contest station will be operator free. An AI computer will be
> reading
> > > and transmitting the contacts, turning the antennas, selecting the
> > > frequency, even turning the power on at beginning and off at the end.
> So
> > > you
> > > know where this rule change is heading.
> > >
> > > Doug
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: CQ-Contest
> > > [mailto:cq-contest-bounces+ve5ra=sasktel.net at contesting.com] On Behalf
> > Of
> > > Sterling Mann
> > > Sent: February-16-22 3:43 PM
> > > To: CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> > > Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] ARRL to allow self-spotting in contests
> > >
> > > Let's take it a step further...
> > >
> > > * epic sports intro music plays *
> > >
> > > And we are live at the K3LR super station, here on ESPN FiveNine - Your
> > > HOME for RadioSport, where everybody is Five and Nine. We're just
> minutes
> > > away from kicking off 2032's Worldwide DX Slam, and we already have 9 -
> > > countem, NINE - ops on frequency already warming up the bands. I think
> we
> > > got a big game ahead, last year's rival is putting up a bigger fight -
> > K9CT
> > > just put up 3 new towers on their farm, but their ops are sitting
> pretty
> > > from the comfort of their laz-e-boys and couches tied in over Starlink,
> > so
> > > it's the perfect storm, butting the Butts in Chairs with the Work from
> > > Homers against each other. Tim, what are we gonna be seeing today?
> > >
> > > Well Fred, this is a young crop of contesters, so you'll be they'll be
> up
> > > all night working well into Japan and Australia on 160m with that new
> > > OctaVert they've been playin with, and just checked last night, looks
> > like
> > > we got 37,000 VK and JA listed on the regs tonight so it'll be like
> > > shooting fish in a barrel in the graveyard shift assuming they can keep
> > > their rates up and their frequencies busy. That'll be really key,
> coming
> > > into the sunspot minimums, as the high bands just aren't going to keep
> it
> > > up despite HAARP-II cooking the ionosphere last week for the
> > > Lets-Make-10m-work-again contest. Man you could feel the heat, and you
> > can
> > > feel it here too. We also expect big things out of the rookie, Maci
> > > Maxwell. She has just been blowing up the scoreboards on nightly
> sprints
> > > but now she's eating at the big kids table, so pressure's on but I
> think
> > > she's got it in the bag - we'll really see her shine on the greyline.
> And
> > > can't forget about that wild metamaterial iono-georesonant phased array
> > at
> > > 4O3A causing a storm in the radiosport meta, that is going to be a
> thorn
> > in
> > > everyone's side. Definitely going to be a big thing to keep an eye on
> in
> > > the top five, and certainly be a hard battle for first place unlimited,
> > but
> > > you will see it here on ESPN FiveNine. Back to you Fred.
> > >
> > > Thanks Tim. For those playing at home, it's time to put on those FlexVR
> > > headsets for a new immersive experience brought to you by DX
> Engineering
> > -
> > > bringing the DX to the METAVERSE - it's DXaVERSE. Watch real-time stats
> > and
> > > scores, hear stations in full 360 audio with the all new NeuralDSP
> audio
> > > engine, and SEE the DX coming from the skies so you always know where
> to
> > > spin the dial and spin your beam to always be on top.
> > >
> > > ***
> > >
> > > I long for the day that RadioSportscaster is an actual job, but I think
> > > we've got a long way to go :-P
> > >
> > > -Sterling N0SSC
> > >
> > > Hi Randy:
> > > >
> > > > Allowing self-spotting might not have had much of an impact.
> Allowing
> > > chat rooms and other non-amateur radio platforms will have a huge
> impact.
> > > Competitive assisted single operators and Multi-ops will have social
> > media
> > > coordinators.  Unless a very carefully crafted rule is written, Single
> > > Operator Assisted operators can have additional people helping with
> > social
> > > media.
> > > >
> > > > Live streaming offers the ability to confirm QSOs in real-time.  The
> > > video/audio feeds will quickly be augmented by machine-readable data
> for
> > > that confirmation - and real-time QSLing!  This effectively eliminates
> > the
> > > rules against confirming QSOs during contests by non-amateur radio
> means.
> > > >
> > > > Many QSOs will now be arranged via social media or dedicated apps.
> It
> > > will be interesting to see if stations still need to hold run
> frequencies
> > > in
> > > a few years when the scheduling apps can just access their current
> > > frequency
> > > in real-time and it becomes sort of like a sprint.  I hope so -
> > otherwise,
> > > the single operators won't even be able to work the serious
> > > assisted/multi-op stations.
> > > >
> > > > 73,
> > > >
> > > > Mark, KD4D
> > > >
> > > > >* On 02/16/2022 7:23 AM Randy Thompson <k5zd at outlook.com
> > > <http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest>> wrote:
> > > > *> >  >* From the ARRL Contest Update today:
> > > > *> >* "New Rules in effect for all ARRL HF Contests in June
> > > > *>* Starting with the ARRL International Digital Contest, in all
> > > categories that allow assistance (Unlimited), the use of online and
> other
> > > non-amateur radio platforms including but not limited to social media,
> > live
> > > video streaming, and internet chat rooms will be allowed. In all
> > Unlimited
> > > and Multioperator categories, the prohibition of self-spotting, and
> > asking
> > > another station to spot you, will also be removed."
> > > > *> >* Wow.  It was one thing for the VHF contests to allow use of
> chat
> > > rooms and telephone calls, now this is extended to all HF contests. It
> > > should be interesting to see what unintended consequences result from
> > > allowing multi-ops and assisted competitors to spot themselves. You
> could
> > > spot yourself with every CQ if you wanted to. Or you can call people on
> > the
> > > phone and ask them to get on the air. Or send out email reminders to
> work
> > > you during the contest.
> > > > *> >* It is likely to have the most impact on SSB to produce spotting
> > > equal to what the RBN does for CW and RTTY.
> > > > *> >* For an organization that has always been so timid and
> > conservative
> > > on rule changes, the ARRL seems to have sprung this one without much
> > > consultation with the contest community.  I assume it is in reaction to
> > the
> > > W2RE incident several years ago in ARRL DX where he used live streaming
> > on
> > > Facebook during the contest.
> > > > *> > >* Randy K5ZD
> > > > *> >* _______________________________________________
> > > > *>* CQ-Contest mailing list
> > > > *>* CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> > > <http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest>
> > > > *>* http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
> > > <http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest>
> > > > *
> > > >
> > > >
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> > >
> > >
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