[Skimmertalk] Brief experiment with Skimmer and 40 Meter SoftRock at Field Day

[Joe Subich, W4TV]

Bill, 

>          Drumroll...and the results are:
> 
> 1.  37 calls.
> 2.  47 calls.
> 3.  86 calls (7 obvious busts...possibly more).
> 
>          I could have improved #1 and #2 above by
> leap-frogging two VFOs (which is what I normally do)
> but I just wanted to see what could be done with one.
> If anyone thinks Skimmer would not totally redefine
> SOU they're kidding themselves.

I think you're not looking at the show picture ... you 
say you could have improved #1 and #2 by leap-frogging 
the VFOs and you note a "bust" rate of at least 10% in 
#3. By the time you reduce the number of calls in #3 
for the busts and further reduce the total for dupes and 
other "unworkable" stations - then increase #1 and #2 
based on leap-frogging the VFOs, etc. the net effect of 
each method becomes very nearly the same. 

Does each method use different skills?  Yes.  However, 
that is not the question here.  The issue is that each 
of these methods are valid for a SINGLE OPERATOR since 
NONE of them reflect participation by another individual. 

Might one method provide some operators better results 
than another?  I don't think there is any question that 
#3 might b more productive for someone with poorly developed 
SO2R skills.  Still that should not be a criteria for this 
debate any more than the fact that some operators benefited 
more from computer logging than others justifies putting 
those who use CT/NA/TR/WriteLog/N1MM/Win-Test/etc. in the 
multi-single class. 

Classes should never be based on "effect" they should be 
based on "inputs."  When the inputs are the same, no matter 
how the inputs are combined, the class should be the same. 





> -----Original Message-----
> From: skimmertalk-bounces at contesting.com 
> [mailto:skimmertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Bill Tippett
> Sent: Monday, June 30, 2008 11:32 AM
> To: skimmertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: [Skimmertalk] Brief experiment with Skimmer and 40 
> Meter SoftRock at Field Day
> 
> 
> 
> 
> KD4D:
> 
>  >If this is going to be useful in a large multi-op scenario, a 
> better receiver is going
> to be required.  Has anyone had experience with some of the 
> other SDR's in a multi-op environment, especially one running 
> high power.
> 
>          The Achilles heel of today's SDRs is relatively
> poor BDR, which is exactly what's needed in a multi-op 
> environment.  For example, the Flex 5000, one of the better 
> SDRs, has BDR of 121 dB versus the K3 at 140 dB. Of course 
> this may change as 32-bit ADCs become available.
> 
>          BTW I did a little RX-only experiment myself.
> My rules were to tune 7018-7042 kHz in 3 consecutive
> 15 minute intervals using the following methods:
> 
> 1.  Using one VFO and my ears.
> 2.  Using one VFO, PowerSDR's waterfall and my ears.
> 3.  Using Skimmer.
> 
> The reason for the 24 kHz limitation is due to the way
> Skimmer limits the Softrock-IF mode when using the K3.
> If this limit were removed, then Skimmer should have
> doubled its results over a 48 kHz swath (and even more
> if 96 kHz were used).  I doubt a human would have
> improved #1 or #2 much with wider bandwidths.
> 
>          Drumroll...and the results are:
> 
> 1.  37 calls.
> 2.  47 calls.
> 3.  86 calls (7 obvious busts...possibly more).
> 
>          I could have improved #1 and #2 above by
> leap-frogging two VFOs (which is what I normally do)
> but I just wanted to see what could be done with one.
> If anyone thinks Skimmer would not totally redefine
> SOU they're kidding themselves.
> 
>          My other observation is that the CW skills
> of many hams today are very poor.  Many busted calls,
> poor sending skills, folks who cannot copy simple
> questions like "SEC?", etc.  I wonder if Skimmer
> would improve these skills or make the situation
> even worse?  Time will tell...
> 
>                                          73,  Bill  W4ZV
> 
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