[Skimmertalk] Blind Skimmer Option for Unassisted Categories

[Rick Eversole]

Bill Tippett wrote:
> I've used Skimmer, PowerSDR and Winrad waterfalls for some time now.
> I very much prefer Skimmer's display and rig interface.  I find it
> very easy to click on the dots to send my K3 to exactly the right
> frequency (versus attempting to line up the crosshairs using PowerSDR)
> and then decode the signals by ear.
>
> I have no interest in using Skimmer's decoder since I normally operate
> in Unassisted categories, but I would really like an option to put
> Skimmer into a waterfall-only mode (i.e. no decoding).  This might
> also relieve some of the CPU burden when using less than a 2 GHz
> machine.
>
> I suspect others might be interested in the same option.  Alex, is
> there any chance you might consider such an option for those of us who
> love Skimmer's display and interface, but don't want to put ourselves
> into Assisted categories by using Skimmer as presently configured?  Do
> any others feel the same?
>
> 73,  Bill  W4ZV
> _______________________________________________
>   
Be careful on this.
While this group is for technical discussions and not the "legal" issues 
about using Skimmer,
as the chairman for the California QSO Party I would caution that using 
Skimmer in a limited fashion
is walking the same fine line of using a spotting network but only 
sending a spot and
"not actually reading any spots". This makes a murky area even murkier.

If you want a tool that will give you the waterfall display, you might 
look elsewhere like the
DM780 software that is part of Ham Radio Deluxe. Or try any PSK31 
software's waterfall
displays. CW is generally pretty obvious on those displays as well.
Once you drop Skimmer's decoding then many of the waterfall displays of 
other digital mode
softwares start looking OK. YMMMV

OTOH, if another piece of software that is not skimmer were produced 
that has no capability to
decode, then that would be different than Skimmer with decode "disabled".

73
Rick "The Rhino" N6RNO