[UK-CONTEST] Skimmer Prediction - myths

[Dave Lawley]

Bob Henderson wrote:
> 
> It's unecessary and undesirable to ban a techology altogether when it's 
> exclusion from a category is all that's required.  I'm unconvinced by 
> the argument that contest organisers will face enormous pressure to 
> provide for use of such technology in all operating categories and will 
> as a consequence bow to it.  So long as there remains interest in 
> recognition of operator skill, I believe its recogition will reasonably 
> be provided for.
> 

Maybe. On the other hand consider what might happen on day one of CQWW 
CW in only a few year's time. The PJ2, CT3, CN8 and whatever 'big guns' 
shooting for the top find that they can increase their rate by cranking 
up the CW speed. This happens already but is limited by the code reading 
speed of a reasonable number of callers.

However, with more and more people treating it as a digital mode, the 
assisted or multi-ops will find that by turning on the code reader they 
can crank it up to 70, 80wpm or beyond. Only when the rate starts to 
drop will they come down to a speed that folk can copy in their head, as 
they do now. That might not happen until day two or, if CW degenerates 
further into a digital mode, you and I and the thousands who like to 
copy in our heads will be excluded altogether. Actually it may be ok 
because their skimmer will have found you as a 5B4 CQing at 30wpm and 
they'll pick you up for a multiplier. But you won't have been able to 
call them for a multiplier because (I'm guessing) you can't copy CW at 
70wpm. Great.

Dave G4BUO