[CQ-Contest] Self Spotting

[jpescatore at aol.com]

Self spotting obviously did not ruin the ARRL SSB, and it is definitely one now legal way to increase score. But, it just doesn't feel right. Below is what I sent to Bob W5OV in the ARRL contest forum and directly to the CAC.
Context: Bud AA3B both independently put in similar but slightly different feature requests to the N1MM Logger+ team to support comment field labeling of self spots. Bud's implemented - you can now include text in your self spot, Bud suggested "QRV" and a few were doing that. Bud's goal was to make finding self spots more easily. The version pushed out before the ARRL DX SSB includes Bud's suggestion.
Mine was rejected - I wanted a default value put in the text field so I could choose to filter out self-spots. Right now the AR cluster syntax doesn't support doing so. That would hurt me more than it would hurt any self spotter, but, like not using history files, it is what I'd like to do.
I'm going to check to see if there has been a feature request turn Spot All S&P Qs by default, which I think is a much better solution.
73 John K3TN

Hi, Bob - I feel like self spotting goes against the values we've had in contesting and contesting rules for many years.

In the past there have been little things, like MultiMulti ops not being allowed to go home and work the MM from home. That was never going to swing the results but it represented a value that QSOs should be made the right way, kinda like fishing in a barrel is not an acceptable norm in fishing.

I sent in comments that I was against it in HF non-SSB contests where we already have skimmers doing a fine job of spotting stations large and small. I'm not a big VHF contester so don't think my opinion shouldn't count there  - but I feel the same way there! Contesting and skeds to me should not go together, nor should self-spotting.

The rules changed, so be it. I'd like a way in CW and RTTY contest for me to not participate. I doubt that is a meaningful punishment to anyone but me, and it let's me maintain my values. The other way would be for me to only look at skimmer spots, which would punish me a bit more!

I would have much, much, much rather see the CAC and members talk with the contesting community to think of ways rules could be changed to encourage more spotting in SSB contests - that is the real issue that was trying to be addressed, since there is no shortage of spots in CW and RTTY tests.

A feature request to N1MM to make the "Spot every S&P QSO" the default would have been a simple step. The ARRL using RBN stats after the contest to have "Top 10 Human Spotter" listings in the results, maybe even offer $20 coffee cups to the top spotters, etc. Many other ways to get more spots in SSB tests.

I've been a fan of leaping on most technology changes that have caused controversy, like FT8 and remote operating. But to me this (and history files that I choose not to use) are like post contest log manipulation. A norm that I'd like to see N1MM Logger+ enable choice in, just the way Logger+ was changed years ago to make post-contest log manipulation harder (not impossible!).

73 John K3TN