[UK-CONTEST] Skimmer mis-reporting

[Stewart Rolfe]

Barry,
I've had some in-depth feedback from GI0NWG (who was an op at W3LPL) and GW8IZR on this and the conclusion is that it's largely down to my habit of interspersing PC sent CQs with hand sending. The skimmer software is unforgiving of less than perfect timing and can result in this type of mis-copy. Short contest calls seem more prone than full calls and I'm thinking I may stick to my own call which I feel more relaxed with.
I've looked at the RBN download files and I also found GW6WGW which is also classic mis-copy. Also looked at the data for previous contests using GW6W and found the same patterns there too, so I either stick to 100% PC sending or use own call to avoid confusion to those relying on skimmers for finding their prey. Damn it....it's like having CCTV checking up on your every mistake, you can't get away with anything!
73,
Stewart, GW0ETF

--- On Tue, 21/2/12, GM3YEH <gm3yeh at gmail.com> wrote:

From: GM3YEH <gm3yeh at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] Skimmer mis-reporting
To: uk-contest at contesting.com
Date: Tuesday, 21 February, 2012, 13:24

Hi Stewart,

I only went on for a few hours on Sunday afternoon/evening of ARRL DX
CW and was operating 20m mainly.  At that time here in SW GM-land
virtually all signals heard were very rough and auroral sounding.
This effect was not steady but was changing from being very rough to
fairly clean within the period of a single CQ call.  Not sure if this
might have been giving some of the skimmers on RBN a hard time
decoding callsigns?

73 Barry GM3YEH.

> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Stewart Rolfe <gw0etf at btinternet.com>
> To: UK-Contest
 <uk-contest at contesting.com>
> Cc:
> Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:38:25 +0000 (GMT)
> Subject: [UK-CONTEST] Skimmer mis-reporting
> The following is from my 3830 report of ARRL DX this weekend..
>
> "Had quite a few repeat callers including from a couple of the big established
> US stations. I was also called occasionally by EU contesters thinking I was
> game; one mentioned me as NW6W so I decided to check the Reverse Beacon Network
> later and found several skimmers reporting me as NW6W..! Only about 50 spots in
> total but all from skimmers that didn't appear in the list for GW6W. If it was
> a case of a missing leading 'dit' I would be looking at my amp timing/qsk etc
> but dropping a dash is a little extreme and my call was always sent in 2s
>
 anyway."
>
> Has anyone else had this sort of thing happening? Incidentally I was using a K3 and Acom 1000 with QSK. Maybe next time I use GW6W I'll go assisted so I can keep an eye on the RBN..
> 73,
> Stewart, GW0ETF (GW6W)
> (If anybody was recording the contest it would be interesting to see if I was being picked up and what my signal was like....)
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