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From: cly@cbdkc1.UUCP (Carl Yaffey)
Newsgroups: net.ham-radio
Subject: DX contest simulator
Message-ID: <725@cbdkc1.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 25-Sep-84 16:12:54 EDT
Article-I.D.: cbdkc1.725
Posted: Tue Sep 25 16:12:54 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 27-Sep-84 04:21:30 EDT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus
Lines: 32

Some company is advertising a dx contest simulator package
that runs on a Commodore 64. When I read about it, I thought
it very funny. Imagine sitting down to your computer and
working dx all weekend without a transmitter, receiver, or antenna!
How dumb!
But after thinking some more, it sounded like fun. It supposedly
does a very good job of simulating band conditions, operator
calls, etc. As you "tune" the band (by pressing a key on the 
Commodore keyboard) you encounter the "hot" operators at the
low end (the package is CW only), and the slower folks as you move up.
As time goes by, the "band"
changes appropriately. The different bands are realistic also.
A transceiver is drawn on the monitor screen.
The part that intrigued me the most was that you could enter your
location and have the whole thing be appropriate for that place.
For instance, you could find yourself on a rare island and
in the middle of constant pileups. The package constantly
displays statistics so you can see "how you're doing"
and so you can compete against others. In fact the company
is going to give "awards"! Another feature is
realistic responses from the "stations" you work. They
respond to QRS and requests for repeats, etc.
Has anybody out there actually tried this thing? I'd like
to know if it is as realistic as it is supposed to be.
It might be fun, and could certainly be used as a tool
to train oneself for contest operating or to just "brush up"
on skills.

Carl Yaffey   K8NU    cbosgd!cbdkc1!cly
-- 
Carl Yaffey at AT&T Bell Laboratories Columbus, Ohio 
614-860-3399 cbosgd!cbdkc1!cly