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The head of the CQ WorldWide DX Contest Committee has told radio-sport.net that a final decision on new rules dealing with the controversial CW Skimmer program should be public in July.
"The CQWWCC has not yet decided on a final statement regarding Skimmer," said Bob Cox K3EST, who added that he expected a resolution "in about three weeks."
In an email exchange, Cox offered no direct comment to radio-sport.net when questioned about reports that the Committee has already voted to make Skimmer use by single operators part of the Assisted category.
With no definitive guidance from either CQ or the ARRL so far on the issue, the cyberspace verbal mudfest over the Skimmer finally reached a boiling point over the weekend, as the administrators of the CQ-Contest reflector banned Skimmer posts there and quickly set up a new reflector for only Skimmer-related traffic.
"The move is not intended to squelch the discussion," said John Dorr K1AR, who helps run the CQ-Contest reflector.
"Rather it's a place for those who have extended interest in the subject to continue the debate in a focused forum," said Dorr, who is also a member of the CQWW Contest Committee.
While the CQWWCC seems to be headed towards a Skimmer resolution, there was no hint of that last week from ARRL officials.
"It's all about the Skimmer right now," said a smiling ARRL CEO Dave Sumner K1ZZ, who was quizzed about the Skimmer after a meeting with hams in Washington, D.C.
During his visit, Sumner confirmed again to radio-sport.net that "local" use of the Skimmer will be allowed in the IARU test next month.
"The 500 meter circle is the issue," Sumner said, emphasizing that if a "local" Skimmer is used with an operator's own antennas - and is not hooked to Skimmers in another state, country or continent - then it is allowed for an IARU single op.
Outside Skimmer use would shift an IARU entry into the Multi-Op category.
That viewpoint was reinforced on the CQ-Contest reflector this past week by ARRL Contest Advisory Committee chair Dick Green WC1M, who said the relevant ARRL HF contest rule does not outlaw local Skimmer use.
Green cited rule "2.1.1.Use of spotting assistance or nets (operating arrangements involving other individuals, DX-alerting nets, packet, Internet, etc) is not permitted."
"The way this rule is worded, use of local Skimmer is allowed," Green wrote.
"The phrase in parenthesis defines the terms "spotting assistance or nets", and it doesn't include anything like local Skimmer," he added.
That rules evaluation was bitterly challenged by opponents of the Skimmer.
"There are reasonable viewpoints on this subject where the interpretation of the rule would not allow Skimmer," argued Stan Stockton K5GO, who has led the charge to ban the Skimmer from all contest categories.
"Skimmer is a big time game changer and not for the good," Stockton added.
As for what the ARRL might do with regards to the Skimmer, neither K1ZZ nor WC1M was giving any public hints.
"Some have said that the rules regarding Skimmer don't have to be the same for all contests, and I agree with that," said Green WC1M.
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
First Rules Setback For Skimmer as WRTC 2010 Bans Its Use; WWSA Makes It Multi-Single Only - June 9, 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
"Bottom line: of the 376 QSO's, 10 of them (2.6%) were made due to spots from Skimmer," said Egan.
"Skimmer found them first, before they were spotted on packet, which means I worked them in one or two calls, instead of having to fight through a packet pileup," Egan said.
Egan figured that at least three of the Skimmer contacts would not have been made because those stations were not that active during the weekend AA CW test.
"When Skimmer was on a different band than I was transmitting on, or if I was in S&P mode mostly listening, Skimmer produced a lot of accurate, timely spots," Egan told radio-sport.net.
He added that when he transmitted on the same band that the Skimmer was watching, "the spots that Skimmer did produce were invariably garbage."
As for how to classify the controversial software, "I haven't made any conclusions on this yet," said Egan, alluding to the ongoing battle over whether the Skimmer should be restricted to Single Operator Assisted entries.
This is a screen shot of the wideband DX Skimmer mode. (Photo courtesy dxatlas.com)
