Topband: FW: Quo Vadis the ARRL and your DXCC program?

[Edward Swynar]

On 1st January, Jarda wrote:

"...Should I start to weep at a new technology coming ? Yes, I also feel to
be cheated by using Web SDR system by others, but I am aware that nobody
could do against anything..."

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One doesn't necessarily have to be a charter member of "The Gray Hair Net"
to recall that more innocent time decades ago when "real DX'ers" disparaged
the use of MCs & lists on the air in the pursuit of the rare ones...

Fast-forward to the DX scene to-day: the 2-meter DX spotting repeater has
been eclipsed by the likes of The DX Summit...and thanks to venues like the
ON4KST chat room, we hardly need to be bothered with the "chore" of combing
the band anymore: just proclaim your frequency to the world via the laptop,
and presto! In seconds you're knee-deep in callers ("...How do you hear me
now...?").

I'm neither heralding these technological developments, nor condemning them,
but merely making a personal observation...

I foresee the day---indeed, if it hasn't even already arrived!---when the
ultra-contestors in our midst will simply turn on their computers at the
start of an event...and then go to bed. The machine interfaced with the rig
will do it all. Remember "Dr. DX" from some 2+ decades ago? IMHO. the next
logical step is 100% automation---and the machine-like CW keying from our
homogenous transceivers merely ensures a smooth transition this way...

I saw a vision of this future in our Club's last Field Day event: not once
did I even have to so much as touch a key / keyer / bug! Function switches
did all of the work---and (sadly, to me at least) took all of the fun out of
the equation in the process, too...

~73~ de Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ