[CQ-Contest] WRTC Spotting

[kq2m at kq2m.com]

Scoreboards provide a multitude of information and different ops use 
that info in different ways to different effects.  The score at any 
given point basically tells you who is ahead or behind in aggregate; it 
is a snapshot of what has already happened and on what bands the op made 
it happen; however, watching for CHANGES in the band by band breakdown 
tells you where those changes in score are happening NOW which is very 
valuable info if the op knows how to use that effectively, and clearly 
not the same thing as DX Cluster spots which give away the freq and time 
of the spotted stations.

Neither of these is even remotely the same thing as monitoring Solar WX 
websites which provide info on what the Sun and Ionosphere/Earth's 
magnetic field are doing or have already done, and provide ZERO 
information about what actual stations operating in the contest are 
doing or have already done.  I also monitor Doppler radar so that I can 
see what the weather is doing or might do - which is a primarily a 
matter of operator safety especially with T-storms.  I use these 
resources as real-time operating aids, but NONE of this information is 
generated by any operators in the contest and it does not give frequency 
location of any station in the contest, hence does NOT provide any 
assistance for the single-op.  Why any contest committee member might 
see this as comparable to DX Cluster or skimmer, or providing assistance 
(facilitating making contest qso's) to the NON-Assisted opr., is beyond 
me.

Then there is the practice of some stations/operators posting real-time 
audio/video streams of themselves operating during a contest.  Is that a 
form of assistance and facilitating making qso's if the op is 
NON-Assisted?  A form of self-spotting perhaps?  Part of the answer to 
that depends on how the op uses that technology to display and promote 
their operation in real-time and what information is being broadcast to 
viewers/listeners.  Some of these ops are/were more careful than others 
about doing that.

I can see how "drawing a box" around the station and eliminating use of 
the internet might be one way of dealing with issues that facilitate 
operators making contest qso's, but IMO it would be like using a 
blowtorch to kill a fly; one which would make operators "blind" to 
potentially dangerous weather hazards, and also eliminate the use of the 
internet for non-contest purposes like watching TV, checking email etc.  
It would also effectively eliminate remote operating which is internet 
based, unless an exception for that mode of operating was granted.

I disagree with Randy though as far as whether or not it is "too late".  
As contest directors and managers have repeatedly demonstrated over the 
past decade, decisions on categories, rule-changes and 
re-characterizations are often made quickly and without regard to what 
the majority of contest participants think or want.

Bob, KQ2M


On 2023-07-01 22:10, Randy Thompson wrote:
> Scoreboards provide one very real value to operators - the opportunity 
> to know how their competition is doing for score.  Contesting used to 
> be 'man isolated in basement' vs his own mental fortitude to persevere. 
>  You had to be self motivated because you had no idea how others were 
> doing. The scoreboards now give you a view of how the other racers are 
> doing and can provide motivation to keep pushing whether you are ahead 
> or behind.  They are even more valuable during part time efforts, where 
> you sit down for awhile and can compete against the other scores around 
> yours.
> 
> Scoreboards are not even close to the value of looking at the DX 
> cluster in terms of knowing what bands are open, to where, and who is 
> on.  If you have time to look at the detailed breakdowns in real-time 
> from a scoreboard, you wouldn't know very much and probably aren't 
> winning anyway.
> 
> As for the contest committee rule making...  yes.  The focus was all 
> about the new Packet thing on VHF and the value of getting real-time 
> spots.  The assisted rules were written around the concept of station 
> finding consisting of a callsign and frequency.  As the Internet 
> quickly took over, we suddenly found there were many other information 
> sources that should have been included.  Watching the solar weather 
> forecast (something I know you do as a SO) is an example.  If we were 
> writing the rule today we would probably draw a box around the station 
> and allow Internet and skimmer tools, or we would allow nothing.  Too 
> late.
> 
> Things do keep changing.  Self-spotting is a whole new can of worms, 
> but also looks like it will be with us going forward thanks to ARRL.
> 
> Randy K5ZD
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: CQ-Contest <cq-contest-bounces+k5zd=outlook.com at contesting.com> 
> On Behalf Of kq2m at kq2m.com
> Sent: Saturday, July 1, 2023 11:30 AM
> To: Mike Fatchett W0MU <w0mu at w0mu.com>
> Cc: cq-contest at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] WRTC Spotting
> 
> 
> 
> Scoreboards are informative and fun to watch, and this usefulness 
> brings about my main objection to their use being allowed by the 
> NON-Assisted ops; that watching a scoreboard provides valuable 
> information about band openings, rate and what is likely being worked 
> on the band(s), by whom and when.  In some ways scoreboard info can be 
> even more useful than actually viewing DX cluster spots which only tell 
> you what is being spotted and by whom, not who/what is actually being 
> worked in real-time.
>   I believe that use of the Scoreboard constitutes Assisted operating 
> since this real-time information is provided by others DURING the 
> contest.
> 
> For these reasons I personally do not look at scoreboards when I am 
> operating NON-Assisted, regardless of whether or not the SOABHP 
> category allows it.  I believe that the contest committees seriously 
> erred many years ago when they gave their blessing to scoreboard use by 
> the _NON-Assisted_ ops along with several other forms of real-time 
> technology including skimmer.
> 
> Why Mike and others feel the need to "get everyone to use scoreboards"
> is baffling to me.  Why not get others to develop and improve their 
> OPERATING SKILLS instead?
> 
> And, NO, there are many among us who DON'T "accept automatic spotting 
> on every mode"; rather, we have learned to live with it because we have 
> no control over it and have not been left with a viable alternative 
> except not to operate.
> 
> Regarding SSB spotting in WRTC, I can see both the pros and cons of 
> doing this and the strong opinions already expressed.  Each WRTC 
> committee is charged with making their own rules and each WRTC event 
> has introduced new ideas and competition "tweaks" to experiment with 
> them.
> Some have been great and others not, but it is part of the ongoing 
> evolution of WRTC (just as in the Olympics) and it will be interesting 
> to see how this hybrid form of SSB spotting turns out.
> 
> Both WRTC and technology sure have changed a lot since the 
> groundbreaking event took place in Seattle, WA, some 33 years ago.  It 
> is still one of the highlights of my life!
> 
> I wish the 2022 WRTC Committee and all judges, support people, 
> participants and competitors, a most awesome and wonderful event!
> 
> CU in IARUHF!
> 
> 73
> 
> Bob, KQ2M
> 
> In 2023-06-30 18:13, Mike Fatchett W0MU wrote:
> 
>> I don't see much of an issue.  CW spots are automatic with RBN and
>> skimmer.  Why not SSB spots?  IARU could change their rules. Same for
>> any other contest.    Maybe this is how we get everyone to use
>> scoreboards.  If you use the scoreboards you get spotted on SSB.
>> 
>> We accept automatic spotting on every mode but SSB simple because we
>> don't have a good way to do it.  Maybe this changes that......
>> 
>> W0MU