[Cwo] Update needed

[Alan Maenchen]

I'll give you my personal view.

In CWO packet was a loser.  Well, not so much a loser, but ineffective
since almost no one was posting spots. Had folks been posting spots that
might change things.  Skimmer was useful for at least a couple of people
(including Hank) who told me about it.  K5OT was adamant against it.

Personally, I think technology such as Skimmer is an advance on the state
of the art .. especially if it's a local Skimmer running on your own
station.  Global Skimmer (or packet) is a different matter as that is
direct assistance from others. In CWO, I can see how it can help.

On a positive note, most of the CWO Session winners did not use any form of
assistance .. or at least they didn't claim to.  That brings up the other
side of the coin;  a ban on packet/skimmer is unenforceable.

Let's wait for a month or so before making any decisions about this. I want
to see if there is any ground swell of support/opposition from the
populace.

Alan





On Thu, Dec 1, 2011 at 11:02 AM, Hank Garretson <w6sx at arrl.net> wrote:

>
>
> On Thu, Dec 1, 2011 at 10:16 AM, Jim Talens <jtalens at verizon.net> wrote:
>
> I don’t think packet makes much difference in this one, and I would think
>> as a separate classification it would complicate adjudication.
>>
>
>
> You're right. Packet wouldn't make much difference for CWO. But ...
>
> I can tell you from experience that Skimmer spots coming via Telnet from
> RBN made a huge difference for me. Every time a new call popped up, I saw
> it immediately and was able to click on it and work the guy without losing
> my run frequency. It helped me know which bands had the action. I estimate
> that one third of my QSOs came from Telnet RBN spots. Whether I would have
> eventually worked the guys anyway is another question. Telnet RBN increased
> my CWO enjoyment a big bunch.
>
> This is a double edged razor. During the last session, Telnet RBN also
> told me when I had worked each band clean and prompted me to pull the big
> switch early.
>
> Please don't disallow Telnet RBN.
>
> Packet is dead. Long live Skimmer.
>
> (As a fifty-five-year contester, I never thought I'd be saying what I just
> said. I always poo-pawed those poor guys who used the assisted crutch. Goes
> to show, never say never.)
>
>
> Ski Exuberantly,
>
> Hank, W6SX
>
> Mammoth Lakes, California
>
> Elevation 8083 feet in John Muir's Range of Light
>
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>
>
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