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

[Joe Subich, W4TV]

> The station A should either tune to every of the 50 stations 
> and decode each of them (how long will it take?), or to 
> employ help of 50 other boys and their radios to make it 
> quickly. The station B gets the bandmap full instantly and 
> effortlessly. Do you suggest, the inputs at the two stations 
> are equal?

The "inputs" are absolutely the same - both stations have access 
to computer logging, duplex receivers and CW decoders.  If one 
station chooses to not use a CW decoder or not use a duplex 
receiver, that is the operator's decision in the same way it 
is the operator's decision to not use high power or not use a 
memory keyer. 

The "inputs" or resource options are the same for both operators. 
One operator should not be punished simply because he elects to 
use the available resources in a new and more efficient way.  In 
the end, it is still one operator with a given number of receivers 
and any number of ways (by sound, by light, by touch, or by 
silicon) to decode CW. 

If you want to say "CW decoded by ear" you had better be willing 
to justify excluding the deaf and newly licensed operators.  If 
you say, "no duplex receivers" you must understand that SO2R and 
Skimmer are opposite sides of the same coin.  

I have no objection to limiting the resources available in a 
given class - that is there are valid reasons for power based 
classes (particularly if they were based on EIRP).  However, I 
do not believe it is any more appropriate to treat different 
types of receivers or different methods of decoding CW differently 
any more that I believe that tube amplifiers should put the 
operator in the high power category but solid state amplifiers 
should be legal in the low power category.  
   






> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vladimir Sidorov [mailto:vs.lists at gmail.com] 
> Sent: Monday, June 30, 2008 3:00 PM
> To: Joe Subich, W4TV; skimmertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [Skimmertalk] Brief experiment with Skimmer and 
> 40 MeterSoftRock at Field Day
> 
> 
> >
> > 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.
> >
> >
> 
> 
> 
> Joe,
> 
> You made it perfect. Classes should be based on inputs.
> 
> Let's take an example. There are two stations, the station A 
> is "the boy and his radio", and the station B employs a 
> Skimmer, as well.  The both of them operate on a band with 50 
> active stations. The both of them want to fill up a bandmap. 
> The station A should either tune to every of the 50 stations 
> and decode each of them (how long will it take?), or to 
> employ help of 50 other boys and their radios to make it 
> quickly. The station B gets the bandmap full instantly and 
> effortlessly. Do you suggest, the inputs at the two stations 
> are equal?
> 
> 73,
> 
> Vladimir VE3IAE
> 
> --- 
>