[VHFcontesting] "Ideal" Contest Rig Continued..

[w2fca at cs.com]

"Kenneth E. Harker" <kharker at cs.utexas.edu> wrote:
...snip...
>Perhaps the VHF SSB contester's equivalent is software that scans 
>the bands, applies various algorithms that identify characteristics 
>of SSB signals, and tells the contester, if not actual callsigns, 
>that there are signals on 50.153, 50.165, 50.171, etc.  Perhaps the 
>day will even come when software decodes SSB and Amateur phonetics 
>into text callsigns.
>
O don't see where that would be all that useful. On HF, you get a lot of stations who sit on one freq for most of the contest. Plus, the propagation is such that if you have, say, S50A on 14260, you're going to hear him the whole contest. In fact, you may even hear him no matter where you aim! But on VHF, a lot of the showing up on a freq is very quick and then gone. Say you're scanning six meters. I've just worked somebody on 2, and we arrange to meet on 50.185, 222.070, and 432,070. At times I've been able to run 4 bands in less than a minute. So, what you would see is a blip on 50.185 for ten seconds, and then gone.
This is also one of the reasons I don't think packet would ever be that much of an issue on VHF. On HF if I see a spot for TM5C on 21290 and go there, odds are I'll hear them. But, knowing that K1TEO is on 144.180 does me no good if he isn't aimed at me.
Finally, for a single op, getting too much info may also get in the way. You're on 50.145 working me, and you see that there are signals on 50.153, 50.165, and 50.171. But, I say that I would like to work up to 2304 now. How do you decide what to do at that point? 
Before I worry about about looking like the Borg in a SO5R setup, I'd rather add another band.

Frank
W2FCA