[CQ-Contest] SS - No more self-spotting needed, let's bait and switch - A Likely Resolution

[Bill N6MW]

Thanks to some helpful responders, it does appear likely that this issue 
is more ignorance than sinister.

N1MM, and perhaps other loggers, provide auto-spotting if you select 
it.  It only functions in S&P. This would be fine EXCEPT the op who 
selected Auto-Spot may sometimes operate in RUN mode and then QSY, which 
causes N1MM to then enter the S&P mode automatically. There is nothing 
to stop the op from manually calling CQ and Running while the Run/S&P 
choice remains with S&P selected, when never touching the F1 key. As a 
result, the Auto-Spot will remain active and the op will be spotting 
their run log but unware,  There is no obvious indication in the N1MM 
widows that Auto-Spot is active in this case.  I intend to address a 
question to N1MM folks on this.

************

So for my initial matter of evident false QC spots on the spotter's Run 
frequency -  due to my sole focus on QC, the QC spots mentioned were 
likely due to N*** legitimately being called by 2 QCs within 20 minutes. 
Very likely there were other false spots that I was not monitoring as 
well. I confess being on high alert for QC since I missed it also on cw 
to compound the torture.

Still there may be benefit to these false spots to the spotter even 
though unintended.  For rare section spots, others will be attracted to 
that run frequency hoping for their missing mult. However, this is 
wasteful of the time of other ops who chase stations who are not 
actually there so it is not harmless.

**************

For those few unaware, in the N1MM Config menu there is the option:   
Automatically Spot New S&P QSOs

   When activated, a message appears at bottom of entry window saying  
"Automatic Spotting of S&P QSOs to your Telnet DX Cluster is enabled." 
This message lasts for about 10 seconds and then vanishes never to be 
seen again.

Done now, N6MW


On 11/21/2023 11:52 AM, Radio K0HB wrote:
> I had this happen to me a number of times this weekend — “What’s that guy
> doing on my run QRG on the bandmap? I just worked him!”  Doesn’t happen on
> CW because you hit <f1>.
>
> On Tue, Nov 21, 2023 at 13:23 Jack Brindle via CQ-Contest <
> cq-contest at contesting.com> wrote:
>
>> This also might be something far less sinister.
>> Most loggers allow you to auto-spot stations you have worked while S&P. If
>> you switch over to running, but haven’t told the logger, this will
>> continue, spotting stations on your run frequency. I will admit to being
>> guilty of this from time to time. When I see a station I just worked show
>> up on my run frequency I will quickly switch the logger over to run mode to
>> limit the number of bogus spots.
>>
>> It isn’t always that someone is trying to game the system or do something
>> they shouldn’t.
>>
>> For the record, it wasn’t me. My one and only QC was worked while S&P this
>> weekend.
>>
>> 73,
>> Jack, W6FB
>>
>>
>>> On Nov 20, 2023, at 11:21 PM, David Gilbert<ab7echo at gmail.com>  wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> I've never understood why callsigns aren't provided in posts like this.
>> If you're certain of what you said, it can be verified by matching the spot
>> with the culprit's log ... assuming that the ploy was successful in
>> garnering him some contacts.  If you're not certain, your post is out of
>> place.
>>> Self-policing isn't self-policing if everything is kept anonymous.
>>>
>>> Dave   AB7E
>>>
>>>
>>> On 11/20/2023 11:50 AM, Bill N6MW wrote:
>>>> Near the end of phone SS, QC was need for the sweep. An N*** spotted a
>> bogus VE2 on his run frequency. A bit later he did again on a different
>> frequency.  So this brilliantly solves the moral dilemma of self-spotting.
>> QC never found.
>>>> N6MW
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