Topband: CQWW160 Remote receiver rule

[Dick Bingham]

Regarding Rick Karlquist's commentary ===> where he says "*. . . . Remote
bases are now banned from DXCC as well.  This is the familiar pattern of
things that were OK for the elite, suddenly being banned once the great
unwashed obtain access. . . . .*"

Back around 1978 I sent in a proposed article to the QST folks describing a
RTTY (CW too) contest keyer based on a Rockwell KIM-1 development tool. The
software I wrote would allow timekeeping, contact-number, contest message
contents, etc (plus controlling my 50MHz beacon.)

The user still needed to have a RTTY machine for copy but the KIM-1 and SW
did the big job during slow periods.

The ARRL/QST folks rejected the article proposal saying it would give too
much of an advantage to users in a contest.

So, getting contest tools and rules changed/modified is a sticky-wicket in
competitive events. Being ahead of the curve or behind it is often
frustrating . . . .

73 to all . . .

Dick/w7wkr CN97uj and wd2xsh-26 CN98pi
=========================================================
"Message: 1
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 09:01:42 -0800
From: "Richard (Rick) Karlquist" <richard at karlquist.com>
To: Frank Davis <fdavis at nfld.net>, topband at contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: CQWW160 Remote receiver rule
Message-ID: <54BE89F6.9060300 at karlquist.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed

On 1/20/2015 7:20 AM, Frank Davis wrote:
> The contest rules dictate that e remote receiver controlled over the
internet is not permitted in the CQWW160 contest.
>
>st that I have avoided this far.
>
> Maybe if enough of us push for it we can have the rules modified to
permit remote receivers within the same grid square as the home station.
>
> 73 Frank VO1HP
>

This certainly deserves further consideration.  I have a problem
with the grid square criterion.  Grid squares are an artificial
construct, and I think it would be better to choose a specified
distance, such as 100 km in the Stew Perry.  Personally, I would
like to see this increased to 100 miles (160 km).  Also, you
might happen to be in the corner of a grid square, which would
limit your options for no good reason.

This is IMHO entirely different from using an internet remote on the
East coast to hear EU better (or in your case, a west coast remote
to hear AS better), which is what the contest sponsors are trying
to prevent (and rightly so).  The proliferation of internet remotes
for hire has now poisoned the well for conventional remote receive
sites.  Remote bases are now banned from DXCC as well.

*This is the familiar pattern of things that were OK for the elite,
suddenly being banned once the great unwashed obtain access.*

One idea I have toyed with would be to setup up some sort of SDR
that would record the entire 160 meter band for the duration of
a contest.  I could install this at a quiet site, and then, after
the contest, dtermine what I couldn't hear.  It might be very
enlightening and doesn't violate the contest rules.  Maybe you should
try this initially as a proof of concept.  What would be needed
is a system that could run on batteries for the duration of the
contest.

Rick N6RK"