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Speak Out: A post-contest accuracy report for cluster spotting?

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ve5cma on 2010-10-16
Tracking spot accuracy would be interesting because we could compare it to the overall contest logging accuracy (via the "global" busted call ratio). I get that some spots are in error b/c of legitimate error on the part of the spotter. What high error rates might mean for any given spotter is a malicious streak of intentional flawed spots designed to damage others.

One other poster noted that we really have no way of screening the real identity of spotters anyway, but the concept of spotting accuracy measurement is interesting conceptually.

As always, hear it with your own ears, work them, then log it.

G1WFK on 2010-09-04
Spotting,like cluster,cw skimmer,and PERSEUS SDR "receiving",is BLATANT CHEATING.Any self respecting radio man would want to use his skills,to find the stations for himself,not have other people "hand" them to him,or have computer software do his "listening" for him while he sleeps. Anyone using these methods is NOT A RADIO AMATEUR. And should stop pretending to be one. Michael.

Anonymous on 2010-05-27

WA2GO on 2010-05-17
It would be cool if users could turn on or off the display of a spotter "feedback" rating (that looks just like ebay feedback, following their call in parenthesis) showing their historical spot accuracy. That would serve two purposes: 1. Give the person using the spot a relative confidence level in the accuracy of the spot; and 2. Shame the bad spotters to either be more careful or stop spotting. Of course, this would only work if they feel some sort of embarrassment at putting out garbage. (My own personal view on this is that your confidence level in the accuracy of any spot should be exactly 0% regardless of WHO made it. But the truth is, some people do probably log spots with a confidence level higher than 0%.)

wd4ddu on 2010-04-07
I personally would like to see how accurate MY OWN spots were during a particular contest. I am not interested in others mostly because anyone could log onto a particular packet cluster and use any call sign they wanted. I, like any good operator, verify the call with my own ears before I attempt to work the station. What I hate the most about the packet cluster is the public arguing that goes on between stations. Accusations of self spotting and the rediculous arguing over 14.300 are two prime examples.

Anonymous on 2009-09-28
I decided to run 100% S&P. Too many mucked up
spots for my taste so no clusters during
contests. Nothing at all wrong with those who
use assistance...I choose not to.

W0MU on 2009-02-23
It is the operators job to make sure who the station is he or she is working. Mistakes happen.

N6RNO on 2008-11-17
For club oriented contests, spotting is a
great way for us smaller stations to help
the team. We hear more stations than we can
actually work. I think most spot errors are
typos or poor hearing...and not deliberate
mistakes. It would be interesting to get a
statistical analysis of the error rate and a
full busted call analysis targeted at typos
and D/B/P type of mistakes. The analysis
should be an aggregate and not single out
who spotted (unless the error rate >> 30%
for 30+ spots)

I always listen to the exchange and log what
I hear but still get caught on B/D type
mistakes when the phonetics where not used.

On the issue of B4, work them, dups never
hurt in the log and B4 can take longer than
working them when you hear them cleanly. If
they are noisy then give a B4. Some of us
argue over the B4 because we do not have you
in our logs correct. You may end up with a
NIL because we may choose to delete the
contact completely instead of correcting our
logs.

Anonymous on 2008-08-26
Not only should they publish an accuracy report, logs should be reduced in score for the inaccuracy rate.

W5JNP on 2008-07-25
On contest that allow spots I only use them as a tool. I don't
take them for face value. I ALWAYS still listen and get the
correct call before I key the mic. Maybe if more listen before
they keyed the dups would disappear.

Spots != Truth

Jeff
W5JNP

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