[CQ-Contest] Encouraging Spotting of SSB QSOs in Contests

[Richard F DiDonna NN3W]

One problem with spot all S&P QSOs is that often N1MM doesn't put you into
run mode immediately.  So you suddenly have a bunch of packet spots for
stations on your run frequency.  Not an ideal situation.

On Wed, Nov 30, 2022 at 11:48 AM Pete Smith N4ZR <pete.n4zr at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Well, of course there is an intermediate step - users of N1MM Logger on
> any mode can select the Option "spot all S&P QSOs".  My hunch, totally
> unsupported by real data, is that people hesitate to do that because, if
> they are operating Unassisted, they don't want to be accused of cheating.
>
> 73, Pete N4ZR
> Check out the new Reverse Beacon Network
> web server at<https://reversebeacon.net>.
> For spots, please use your favorite
> "retail" DX cluster.
>
> On 11/30/2022 10:39 AM, George Fremin III wrote:
> > On Sat, Nov 19, 2022 at 10:44:00AM -0500, Pete Smith N4ZR wrote:
> >
> >> I've been appalled by how few stations spot in phone contests,
> > >From the early days of the DX spotting systems via packet radio
> > (packet DX clusters) there has always been an issue with getting folks
> > to submit spots to the system.  It all relied on humans inputing this
> > data - and there were only small numbrers of stations submitting input
> > but a vast number of stations consumming it.
> >
> > I am sure you can find folks complaining about this in the archives of
> > this very email reflector.
> >
> > There were efforts made to get folks to add spots to the system.  As I
> > recall there were even reports done and posted to CQ-Contest that
> > listed all the calls and the number of DX spots they posted over the
> > past contest weekends.  That in itself became a contest of sorts -
> > could you make the high spot list.
> >
> > But, we do not do this anymore.  And I am not sure anyone would care.
> >
> > I suspect that spots being put into the system by humans going down
> > over time.
> >
> > There is no reason to do it at all on CW or FT8 or RTTY - the
> > automated systems take care of those modes.  It has gotten folks out
> > of the habbit of spotting stations - so when they go to SSB they dont
> > do it there.  It also has made it seem like there is no activity on
> > SSB in or out of contests. And I think this is a bit of a feedback
> > loop - no spots on SSB but plenty on CW/FT8 - so folks go to those
> > modes to some extent.  You can really see this in multi-mode contests.
> > We are starting to see what I think is a skewing of the activity in
> > things like IARU to CW - where the spots flow freely and where if you
> > go to SSB and call CQ you do not get the instant answers that you do
> > on CW - so you QSY back to CW.  Even though there are many more people
> > that know the voice than the ones that know the code.
> >
> > Does that mean I want an SSB RBN?  No, I would prefer that it did not
> > exist on CW either.  Or DX spotting at all for that matter.  But I
> > know that it will likely not go back.
> >
> > I have seen suggestions that SSB should add some sort of beacon to our
> > signals so that an RBN system would eaisly work - and I fully expect
> > that sort of talk to increase over time.  Just like the ADS-B systems
> > on airplanes. And this step to self spotting is just the first step in
> > this direciton.  It would be nice if it was over the air but I guess -
> > why demand that?  When you can more eaisly call CQ on the internet
> > every time you push F1.
> >
> >
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