[UK-CONTEST] Technology

[Roger Cooke]

Hi Y'all.

   I don't think there is much anybody can do about the march of "technology" within our hobby, and should we even consider preventing it?

   I well remember one NFD back in the eons of time, when most of us were using Eddystone bug keys. I had built an OZ7BO keyer and that particular year I produced my new home-brew TTL keyer with four memories. I was well and truly accused of cheating, ( albeit tongue in cheek ) but we were still using loggers and sheets of paper!

  It depends what personal satisfaction one gets from what we use. I am trying, with some success I might add, to encourage the "newbies" to learn CW the proper way, before the brain actually addles! We can use some new volunteers, and I know lots of "real" amateurs read this, so how about donating an hour a week to a good cause?

  I digress!  I have no real problem with Skimmer - I am too old to use SO2R, as I have enough trouble with one frequency! However, I think a lot of the modern means of working stations leaves a lot to be desired. Working DX used to mean a LOT of tuning, listening, and LEARNING! Now we can use the Cluster to find the DX, click on it to tune the transceiver, send 599 TU ( irrespective of the REAL signal report ), send an E-QSL via LOTW and claim an "award"!  For doing what? No real skill, no time, no waiting with anticipation ( that's half the fun! ) for the card, no REAL card anyway. I think the "newbies" are missing out here.

  You can tell I have my Luddite hat on. It is much like cheating in a contest, the only person the cheater is cheating is the cheater. He knows that he hasn't really won fairly. Luckily he doesn't get £1000 for winning, just a piece of fame that he knows he doesn't deserve.

  Personally I will not use E-QSL, or LOTW as I am a masochist! I have worked all my DX the hard way, only need P5 now, so cannot see any reason for changing. But listening on the bands now is very different from 50 years ago. I have noticed that the majority of contacts now are just the rubber stamp type, not much rag-chewing. We seem to have lost the plot somewhere along the way. 

   But, if you get satisfaction from using Skimmer then do so. I use/run a DX CLuster, use N1MM, use an MM3 keyer etc., so I do use technology myself, but set personal limitations.

   

Regards from Roger, G3LDI
Swardeston, Norfolk.



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