[Elecraft] New concept/tool for CW dxing

[G4ILO]

Romanchik Dan wrote:
> 
> It's all a matter of where you draw the line. This is just more  
> technology, and technology is **supposed** to make things easier.  
> Following your line of reasoning, we'd have to disqualify those using  
> DSP  or beam antennas because it makes DXing harder for those that  
> don't have them.
> 
No I don't agree. QRO, beam antennas, better filtering are all part of
radio, and therefore legitimate ways to improve your success at DXing.

The problem with technology like this is that it takes all the skill and
chance out of the hunt. All you have to do is click the mouse and start
sending. It reduces the hobby to a pointless exercise. The DX Cluster was
the start down this rocky road, but it still relies on someone spotting the
DX the hard way, so it doesn't completely ruin the experience.

I think this is a very important issue that affects the value of our hobby.
15 years or so ago people didn't have the internet, and international phone
calls were expensive. The ability to talk with someone half way round the
world was special and magical. These days, it isn't, and people may start to
wonder why we bother using radio when we can use email, Skype or a cheap
phone call.

If people start using computer technology to spot what they need to work
then the actual radio contact becomes little more than a formality. It
devalues the worth of the radio communication considerably. This wouldn't
matter so much if you could just choose not to use this technology, but
people will still be claiming these huge scores having used it, and the rest
will feel either they have to do so too or else give up the game entirely.

A game isn't fun to play if people are cheating.

-----
Julian, G4ILO  K3 s/n: 222 K2 s/n: 392
G4ILO's Shack: www.g4ilo.com
Zerobeat Ham Forums: www.zerobeat.net/smf
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