First Rules Setback For Skimmer as WRTC 2010 Bans Its Use; WWSA Makes It Multi-Single Only

By Jamie Dupree NS3T radio-sport.net
Posted June 9, 2008

For the first time since the CW Skimmer program surfaced on the contest scene early this year, single operator use of VE3NEA's controversial wide band CW decoding program is being restricted by a specific contest.
"No way!" was the answer from WRTC 2010 organizer Igor "Harry" Booklan RA3AUU when asked if the Skimmer would be allowed in the World Radiosport Team Championships in Russia.
"No cluster. No skimmer. No super check partial. No other assistance," Booklan told radio-sport.net.
Even with that decision by RA3AUU, the next two qualifying contests for the 2010 WRTC will allow single ops to use the Skimmer, in IARU and WAE DX CW. It was also allowed in CQ WPX CW.
The first contest to actually limit use of the Skimmer will be this weekend's GACW World Wide South America test, as WWSA will deal with single operator use of the Skimmer like the use of packet spots.
"The SO station using CW Skimmer must mark his log for the Multi-Single category," said WWSA Contest Manager Alberto Silva LU1DZ, whose contest also places those using the DX cluster into the multi ranks.
For now, those rule judgments are the exception, as most contest directors are holding off any rule changes.
"I think that most people will agree that we don't want Skimmers in the Sprints," says NA CW Sprint director Larry Tyree N6TR.
He told radio-sport.net that he "will likely make a (rules) change for next year."
"We didn't really have time to change them for September," Tree added.
The next North American CW QSO Party also will be open to Skimmer use, as no rule changes are envisioned in the short term.
"Not for the August 2008 contest," said NAQP Contest Director Bruce Horn WA7BNM. "We're in the watchful waiting mode."
That "wait and see" approach means a number of upcoming contests will be open to Skimmer use by single operators, they include:
* IARU HF in July;
* IOTA in July;
* NAQP CW in August;
* WAE DX CW in August;
* Sept NA CW Sprint;
* California QSO Party in October.

"We will be watching the debate and impacts on other contests over the coming months," said California QSO Party director Rick Eversole N6RNO.
"It is not really clear that there will be a lot of users of the technology and even if there is what the usage impact will be to CQP," Eversole told radio-sport.net.
In Europe, there's no rush either for or against Skimmer.
"We (the RSGB) have no current plans to change any of our rules (which also include the IOTA contest) in light of skimmer or other developments," said IOTA Contest manager Don Field G3XTT, who is also the chair of the RSGB Contest Committee.
"Of course, we are watching with interest and will follow closely whatever CQ and ARRL decide to do."
As of now, there's been no puff of white smoke from either CQ or the ARRL on the issue.
Multiple sources though have indicated to radio-sport.net that action is likely before long, as rules are set out for the CQWW DX CW Contest by CQ Magazine and for the November CW Sweepstakes by the ARRL.

You can read previous stories about the CW Skimmer:
Contesters Await Rules Decisions On Use of CW Skimmer Software - April 21, 2008
Uproar In Contest Ranks Swells On CW Skimmer; Contest Rulemaking Efforts Not Resolved - April 28, 2008
Log Check Experts Confident CW Skimmer Use Can Be Detected - May 5, 2008
Skimmer Controversy Dominates As Contesters Assemble at 2008 Dayton Hamvention - May 12, 2008
Skimmer Put On Skimmer in Dayton; Human Ear Wins Pileup Contest - May 19, 2008
With No Prohibition, Skimmer Gets CQ WPX CW Test Drive - May 26, 2008
Skimmer Okay For 2008 IARU As ARRL Leaves Rules In Place - June 2, 2008

Tell us what you think about the CW Skimmer! Should contest rules be changed? Should this be allowed for unassisted ops? Email us at radio-sport.net

California QSO Party Issues New Rules On Chat Rooms, Instant Messaging

In the wake of this year's controversy over internet assistance in the CQ 160 CW contest, the California QSO Party has moved to restrict the use of internet chat rooms and instant messaging by single operators.
"They are obvious areas of assistance that a single operator should not be using," said new CQP Director Rick Eversole N6RNO.
The move makes the California QSO Party one of the few contests to explicitly prohibit the use of such internet tools by single operators. The RSGB last year banned the use of the ON4KST chat rooms for their UHF contests.
The new CQP rule states, "Single-Operator entries are allowed no outside assistance. This includes the use of packet, spotting networks, instant message systems, chat rooms or alerts of any kind."
The old CQP rules didn't directly address the issue.
"CQP does not have an SOA (Assisted) category and so the rules in 2008 make it clear that SOA entries are really Multi-Single for CQP 2008," said Eversole. "This was previously not entirely clear and hidden within the FAQ."
For now though, the CQP rules will stay silent on the Skimmer.
"On the issue of CW Skimmer, we are taking a wait and see attitude," said Eversole.
"As have most clubs, we've had intense debate about what category CW Skimmer should be in," said former CQP chief Kevin Rowett K6TD.
"Our approach for 2008 is - let's see what CW Skimmer brings, and then make some decisions," he added.

So What Is The CW Skimmer?

The CW Skimmer is software that was developed by Alex Shovkoplyas VE3NEA.
When tied into a radio properly, the program can basically offer you a bandmap full of stations, as it automatically decodes and identifies CW signals (see photo below.)
The CW Skimmer program and more can be found at VE3NEA's DX Atlas web site.