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Re: [CQ-Contest] The 2021 Unassisted Challenge

To: cq-contest@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] The 2021 Unassisted Challenge
From: Jeff Clarke <ku8e@ku8e.com>
Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2021 13:32:26 -0400
List-post: <mailto:cq-contest@contesting.com>
Martin,

I don't think SOAB is dominated by 2BSIQ. My guess is only a handful (mostly the top 5 in each SOAB HP category) operate this way. The rest are operating the traditional way or SO2R where they are tuning for stations to work on a 2nd radio. You also need to be a special type of person to do 2BSIQ. I don't think an older person could handle it as it's very demanding. I don't even think I could do it at 60 years old!

Jeff

On 3/13/2021 06:23 PM, Martin, LU5DX wrote:
Well, no.
I mean not in general.
If you are to compete in SOAB now dominate by 2BSIQ, looking for mults is
no longer part of the equation. Eventually you would pass mults to one of
your two, or three or n radios.
Mults have become just a factor proportional to the QSO total.
CT1BOH explains it very well.
The same station with the same op would have to figure out very well to do
to outperform his SOAB score using the DX Cluster. You have to evaluate
exactly who to call, when to call without hurting your overall performance.
Strategies vary a lot from region to region. But using DX Cluster is not
easier than not using it.
I took a break from SOAB (A)  at LP1H and entered SOAB from CE3CT 2013/2014
CQ WW DX CW.  SOAB is by far more relaxed and straight forward than SOAB
(A).

To me, the problem about treating them as different categories is about the
imposibility of proper results adjudication at all times.

Vy 73,

Martín, LU5DX


El sáb., 13 mar. 2021 6:16 p. m., rjairam@gmail.com <rjairam@gmail.com>
escribió:

It takes different skills, not a lot more skills.

Contesting is not simply a game of running. It may be that way in some
parts of the world due to the ability to sustain high run rates but in
many places you do need to hunt for multipliers to compete
effectively. With spotting that becomes dramatically easier than
without spotting assistance.

Fact is, they are different games and should be treated as such.

73
Ria, N2RJ

On Sat, Mar 13, 2021 at 2:57 PM Martin, LU5DX <lu5dx@lucg.com.ar> wrote:
You are totally wrong Jeff.
Operating using the DX Cluster takes a lot more skills than just running
two pileups without any additional information.
I think I don't need to explain why, since your way of thinking reduces
the
use of cluster to just pointing and clicking.

73,

Martin, LU5DX

El sáb., 13 mar. 2021 1:43 p. m., Jeff Clarke <ku8e@ku8e.com> escribió:

Many newer contesters don't know any other way to operate a contest
than
operating assisted. They spend every contest just pointing and clicking
on spots, which doesn't really involve any skills at all. I see many
posts on 3830 of those who comment they did no S&P at all and make all
their QSO's by clicking on spots in the band map. If you have a nice
station you can do pretty good operating this way. You can usually have
a higher score than someone that is a more skillful operator but has a
lesser station. Those of us who don't like this way of operating are
often criticized as being not "keeping up with the times" or old
fashioned.
I can totally understand why Bud thinks assisted is the way to go. AA3B
along with others such as K3WW, K5ZD, N3RD and others are all
accomplished SO2R operators, like to operate assisted and have nice
contest stations. Adding assistance allows them to maximize their
scores. There are other accomplished operators such as N6MJ, KL9A and
N2NT and others that aren't really into operating assisted. So why
should a single person decide that everyone should operate the way they
prefer to operate? I run the Georgia QSO Party and I make all my rule
decisions based on feedback I get and not my personal preference. There
are rules I want to change but I don't because of that feedback I get.
Bud heard lots of feedback on this reflector that opposed this rule
change but chose to ignore it and go with his personal preferences.

I've been a contester for many years and frankly I'm turned off buy
some
of the current rules in contests. The "skill" factor doesn't really
seem
to matter as much as it did in the past. Many of you that have been
around awhile before assistance and SO2R came about might remember back
in the day when those who had the highest contest scores were those who
made the right decisions such as "what band should I be running on" or
"should I take a break right now".  Those days are gone because with
today's assistive technology you don't  have to make that decision.

Either way I will still operate contests (especially CW) because that's
what I've done my entire amateur radio life. I'm not so concerned about
winning anything because I'm out gunned. It's just for the love of
contesting I have.

Jeff  KU8E


On 3/12/2021 09:41 PM, N4ZR wrote:
I had missed this change in the WPX rules, which I deplore, and I'm
glad that N6MJ et al have taken up the cudgels.  In my opinion it
never made any sense to merge assisted and unassisted.  Even though I
largely operate assisted, the distinction is real and should not be
ignored.  If the best operators went assisted, they would definitely
win, because S&P rates (when dueling 2-band CQs slow down) and
multiplier totals will definitely show an effect. Let those who want
one or the other make their choice - don't pretend there is no
practical difference.

73, Pete N4ZR
Check out the new Reverse Beacon Network
web server at <http://beta.reversebeacon.net>.
For spots, please use your favorite
"retail" DX cluster.

On 3/12/2021 6:23 PM, Ken K6MR wrote:
This is wonderful!  Many have talked about doing something like
this,
but you have grabbed the ring!

Thank you and I look forward to the results.  Real contesting!

Ken K6MR

From: Daniel Craig<mailto:unassistedchallenge@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2021 10:05
To: cq-contest@contesting.com<mailto:cq-contest@contesting.com>
Subject: [CQ-Contest] The 2021 Unassisted Challenge

We invite U.S. Amateurs to participate in the 2021 Unassisted
Challenge.
The Challenge is open to Amateurs in the lower 48 States who enter
the 2021
CQ WPX SSB and/or CW contests in the single-op category but do NOT
use
spotting assistance.  Even though CQ WPX no longer recognizes
separate
unassisted categories, we feel the need to continue having such
categories.

To enter, email your Cabrillo log (as submitted to CQ WPX) to
unassistedchallenge@gmail.com.  Please indicate from which CQ Zone
you
operated in the text of the message.  We also encourage you to post
your
score to www.3830scores.com<http://www.3830scores.com> and select
the
unassisted overlay.

High Power and Low Power winners in CQ Zones 3, 4, and 5 will
receive a
plaque (six plaques available in each event).  We encourage
operators
throughout the world to participate as single-op unassisted also,
but
plaques are only available for the lower 48.

Full details and rules coming soon!  Send any questions to
unassistedchallenge@gmail.com.  Please forward to your friends and
clubs!

Axel KI6RRN
Dan N6MJ

Note: the Unassisted Challenge is not affiliated with CQ or CQ WPX.
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