[Skimmertalk] Skimmer Callsign Validation

[Pete Smith]

Hi Joe - You're entirely correct as to the origin of most of the 
errors.  Because of the way Skimmer decodes, it does not yet have the 
ability to take it to the next level, as a human op would do.  On the other 
hand, if you compare its output with the stream of spots coming from a 
cluster node, I suspect that much the same sort of errors would be seen in 
both.  My only point was that the error rate is now comparable to packet, 
at least at the normal and aggressive validation levels.  At the paranoid 
level, since a positive match with a super check partial file is required, 
Skimmer may even be less prone to total busts.

My reason for posting the report was not to argue for/againsat one point of 
view or another in the tiresome rules debate, but to blow Alex's horn, 
something that he appears reluctant to do for himself.  The guy is good!

73, Pete N4ZR



At 01:41 PM 6/29/2008, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:



> > There is a Microsoft Excel file at
> > www.pvrc.org/~n4zr/Summary_of_All_Calls_6-27-08.xls that
> > summarizes the results.  Callsigns color-coded red in the
> > left-most column were not found in QRZ.com but were accepted
> > by one or more of the validation levels above minimal - at
> > least some may be good, because QRZ is not perfectly timely
> > or inclusive.  Similarly, call-signs colored yellow in that
> > column were found in QRZ but were not validated by any level
> > above minimal (I call them false negatives).
>
>Inspection of the Excel file shows another thing that a human
>ear would probably detect that skimmer is missing ...
>
>In several cases skimmer is copying/validating both a valid
>call and a busted variation (bad fist?) ...
>
>9A60AEEST is most likely a version of "9A60A TEST"
>
>UX7UNST is almost certainly "UX7U TEST"
>
>DR1T is most likely a busted DR1I
>
>EA3FA is most likely a busted EA3FP
>
>S52OW is most likely a busted S52OP
>
>YU1LI is probably YU1LA
>
>YU9DXT is probably YU9DX
>
>S56M/S55M/S56MS are probably all the same station with
>     "fist" issues.
>
>SP4NS is probably SP4Z
>
>WM0M is most likely a busted OM0M
>
>ER3NX/ER4DX, HB9FAZ/HB9NAZ, UA4FEA/UA4FEL/UA4FER and
>     SP3DPG/SP3LPG/SP3LPM are probably "busted" versions of
>     the same call. Anyone who regularly showed up with
>     "unstable calls" should be concerned about their fist,
>     keyer settings (weight), RF into the keyer or "stutter"
>     from LPT/DTR keying.
>
>LY2PX/LY2PXL, LY7A/LY7GEA and OK5R/OK5RO are probably cases
>    of "CT spacing" or "stutter"
>
>None of this should be unexpected after listening to the
>quality of CW in many contests.  It simply shows that "skimmer"
>is only another receiver or tool to identify POTENTIAL DX and
>not DX Alerting assistance like another operator.
>
>The operator still needs to copy the other station/exchange
>and use the tool for what it is and not as a crutch.