[TenTec] New Radios in the Future

Steve Berg wa9jml at frontier.com
Mon Nov 3 20:03:47 EST 2014


I have been following this thread with both interest and trepidation.  
It appears that in order to be competitive, a station needs a high end 
computer, that can run software for logging, scanning the DX cluster 
websites, turn the antenna or steer the phased array to the most optimal 
direction for any given station, show a display for CW skimmer, and all 
the operator needs to do is click on the station shown on the display, 
and the computer and radio do the rest, including sending the code for 
the signal report or other exchange criteria.  At most the mere human 
needs to slightly twiddle a few knobs, the fewer the better, or perhaps 
hit a button a few times now and then.

If this is the case, you are stopping just short of a revolutionary 
advance in contesting.  Why not build up a really high end computer, 
like those that one of my friends constructs for his musical work, and 
eliminate the weakest link in the contesting station?  I am sure that 
the computer could completely take over the station, and run it to much 
higher scores.  Perhaps someone, probably Gordon West, could write a 
program so that the computers actually get licensed themselves.  Much of 
the studying for the exams now is done by rote memory, and computers can 
certainly excel at that.  They might even take the test on-line.  Why 
not just automate the entire process, and eliminate the error prone 
human being that needs at least some sleep and rest breaks?

Climbing into my flame proof suit...

73,

Steve WA9JML


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