[CQ-Contest] N1MM's Embrace of Self-Spotting

[Paul O'Kane]

On 30/11/2022 02:16, Pete Smith N4ZR wrote:
> <snip>

> Tom has rejected my attempts to raise this issue on the N1MM 
> reflector, so I'm trying here.  The difference between self-spotting 
> and being spotted by an RBN node should be obvious - in the RBN case a 
> transmitted signal has actually been heard by someone else.

Wrong!  In the RBN case a transmitted signal has actually been detected 
by a remote unattended receiver.  Self-spotting is the equivalent of 
calling CQ by non-ham-radio means (via the internet) and, likewise, RBN 
spots are received by non-ham-radio means. N4ZR can't have it both ways.

> Making it easy to spot yourself every 10 minutes strikes me as a 
> significant step away from the idea of only using radio to make radio 
> contacts.
Wrong again, and this is beginning to reek of hypocrisy.  It's not 
possible to broadcast RBN spots using only radio.
>
> Just because you *can* do something doesn't mean you should.  It makes 
> me sad that the N1MM group, of which I was proud to be a member for 
> almost 15 years, should have decided to be the ones to facilitate 
> self-spotting.
>
It makes me sad that the RBN, regardless of how noble its aims may have 
been, is used generally to spot, via the internet, anyone who calls CQ 
or TEST on CW.  N4ZR opened the RBN floodgates - he should give this 
thread a rest.

73,
Paul EI5DI