[VHFcontesting] VHF contesting ethics questions

[Duane - N9DG]

--- On Wed, 6/18/08, Chet, N8RA <chetsubaccount at snet.net> wrote:

> From: Chet, N8RA <chetsubaccount at snet.net>
> Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] VHF contesting ethics questions
> To: "'Paul Kiesel'" <k7cw at yahoo.com>, "'VHF Contest Reflector'" <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
> Date: Wednesday, June 18, 2008, 12:16 PM
> Hi Paul,
> A ping jockey listing by station saying he is now on freq X
> using modulation
> Y now calling CQ is really a self-spot by that station.
> That itself is
> something not allowed for him by another rule I think, and
> it is not
> permitted for a person entering as a single op to connect
> to that
> assistance. This PJ spot is not really different than a
> packet spot, isn't
> it?

I really do think that WSJT is a genuinely cool mode. However what has really kept me from really wanting to pursue it is the standard operating practice of real-time or near real-time Internet coordination of a majority of the QSO's done with it. In fact in general I'm just not a big fan of scheduling contacts at all. Which is also why EME (WSJT or otherwise) hasn't really tripped my trigger much either, there's just too much "scheduling" of Q's for it to intrigue me much.

Now if WSJT was implemented in a CWSkimmer like configuration where it was watching a wide swath of spectrum for totally random (i.e. unscheduled) signals then I'd be all over it. I want it to be me and/or my equipment to find the signals through my own antennas on the band of interest. It's just not as sporting to me to look for someone because they told me that they were there. Too much like commercial game farm "hunting", ... and with some animals even tied up... Now some will argue that "running the bands" is tantamount to scheduled contacts as well, perhaps it is to a degree, but finding that other station to work at all in the first place (without using outside means or schedules) I think is the critical differentiator.

Duane
N9DG