Topband: I just want to vent (a little)

[Dan Zimmerman N3OX]

>
> ,but how
> is it different than the time honored tradition of having a buddy
> call you or give you a "one ringer" when something you need shows up?
>

In terms of DXing ethics I don't see it as any problem at all, just like I
think a one-ringer is fine.

I think there is a huge practical difference, however, between a one-ringer
and me spotting one that I know will set off your alarm.   If I spot it,
everyone knows about it... good, upstanding DXers (the majority) and idiot
constant callers (the incredibly disruptive small minority) alike.

Phone calls are different.  I understand that DX clubs, before my time,
would maybe set up one-ringer phone trees to alert their members for a good
one.  Let's say that Johnny Q.R.M. Smith is on the phone tree, and every
time someone rings him up, he acts like an idiot on frequency.

Not too long before he gets secretly crossed off the one-ringer list, eh?

No way to do that on the public spotting network.  I can imagine a network
that worked more like a DX club's phone tree.  The best thing we have right
now, in my opinion, is "private spotting" to small trusted groups like the
ON4KST chat guys. But that's more likely to "leak" to the global cluster.

Another issue these days, especially with 160m operation, is the loss of
regional spotting.  Spotting to a DX cluster that only serves W8/W9 states
didn't necessarily alert Europe to the EY that just came up, nor did
spotting on a DL cluster alert W6 to the FO/A the Europeans need so much.

Spotting is a positive thing.  Telling every anonymous person with telnet or
a web browser about the rare thing that just came up?  Maybe not so much.
 This is especially true because we seem to have some people who are willing
to call even when they can't hear the DX at all.

73
Dan