HAM Radio 101

Ham Radio 101: What is Point and Shoot?

Also known as point and click.  A refinement of the search and pounce operating method which is supported by most major logging software programs. With this method, the operator clicks on calls presented in a window on the monitor, so that the frequency of the radio is immediately changed to the frequency of the call which is listed.  Thus one may quickly hop around the band, each time landing on the frequency of a CQing station who can be called. The technique is only allowed for operating categories which allow access to packet/internet spotting networks. The technique, while very attractive, has two major difficulties:

  • Calls which are spotted may be incorrect—unless one independently verifies the call, one runs a very high risk of incurring penalties for a busted QSO
  • When dozens or hundreds of stations in a contest use this technique simultaneously, it results in big pileups calling on exactly the same frequency, which are hard for CQing stations to disentangle
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