[SCCC] CW Skimmer in ARRL Contests

[John Graf]

I own a copy of CW Skimmer and have used it in a couple of contests.   
I hope others who comment have done the same.

CW Skimmer provides you with a map of CW stations across a wide  
bandwidth (depending on your station setup).  I think of it as a  
panadapter that labels the signals.  It does a decent, but not great  
job.  It is much less accurate than a packet cluster.  It also tends  
to confuse the stations calling CQ with those that are answering.

It can help in a contest if you are doing S&P.   Much less so if you  
are running a frequency.  Having used it, I think its greatest  
strength is in working a DX pileup as opposed to contesting.

It does not provide the operator with spots  or data from any other  
station.  Therefore, it is not providing assistance from any other  
station, person, or entity.  All the information is generated from the  
operator's equipment.

So using it does not put the operator in an "assisted" category.    
Where is the assistance coming from?  To say that software is  
providing assistance opens a can of worms as you would then have to  
consider CW readers (assistance to those who can't copy CW) and  
computer-generated macros (for those who can't send).

Just like an SO2R, a second receiver, the latest contesting software,  
or a nice memory keyer, CW Skimmer is a station accessory.   It helps,  
but does not provide a huge advantage.  Nor does it provide assistance  
from anyone or anything else.    So I don't see the need to treat it  
any differently than any other station enhancement.

Thanks and 73,

John, WA6L


On Aug 25, 2008, at 10:36 PM, Bruce Horn wrote:

> Hi,
>
> The ARRL's Contest Advisory Committee is currently addressing to what
> degree software that provides functionality like the CW Skimmer
> application should be allowed in ARRL contests.
>
> I'd like to hear your thoughts on this. What classes should it be
> allowed in? For what classes should it be excluded? However, please
> provide some explanation of your thinking, not just whether you're
> for or against it.
>
> You can share your thoughts by replying to this e-mail reflector, or
> you may reply directly to me. Thanks for your input.
>
> 73 de Bruce, WA7BNM   (bhorn at hornucopia.com)
> SW Division CAC Rep
>
>
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