[UK-CONTEST] Re Skimmer - was QTC in WAEDC RTTY

[brian coyne]

< i>Agreed - so long as the new ways don't change the fundamental
nature of the activity.  You don't slap an engine in a yacht
and pretend to be sailing :-)</i>
Paul EI5DO.

What a brilliant analogy. there is a clear division of hams on this subject,we either like it or we don't, those who don't are still going to have to accept it.
Am I being naive in the belief that skimmer users will indeed enter the 'assisted categories? I know that hfcc are against introducing extra categories because of the fragmentation it produces in the tables, and some of those vhf result tables with multiple categories of only 3/4  stations do look rather uninteresting to say the least. Nevertheless it is no use battling against the tide and that is the way it is going to have to go.

Peter has suggested SO2R is a similar type of aid. Whilst I have never attempted it SO2R appears to me as a higher skill level altogether and totally different to a spoon fed system such as skimmer.

Personally I think Roger is being unduly pessimistic in his forecast of the demise of single operator entries, remember that the majority of us are active in contests for the fun of being there and the enjoyment of taking part whilst the event is in progress. Cheating by others is nothing new and there is no reason to suspect that it would increase if categories for the new technologies are provided.

FWIW my pet hate is guys who do not read cw and use code readers to chase dxpeditions. they don't have a clue what is going on and when the dx op, under the qrm from a pile of idiots who can't read 'up',  is trying to get a repeat c/s from underneath another pile of code reading idiots who are calling on the 'up' qrg (cos they saw it on the cluster) and just keep calling and calling. These guys slow the pile up working down to ridiculously slow levels. On top of that we are seeing a very big increase of DQ'ing and we cannot blame new technology for that, now new technology for detecting those offenders would be greatly welcomed but as there would be no money it that will never happen.

73   Brian 5B4AIZ.