It's interesting this topic came up. Just the other day while having lunch
with K4BAI (and talking about the Sprint) I made the comment to John that "I
sure had a hard time working N4AF" I think I called him 20 times and never made
it through to him. Finally,
he called me on 80 CW while I was CQing". John's reply was " Yeah that was
probably because he was doing SO2R and working someone on his other radio."
Personally I would like to see SO2R go away. Before you SO2R diehards start
telling
me to learn SO2R so I can become a good operator too...done it... I did SO2R
for many years when I lived in Ohio and got to be very good at it. Of course
you guys that are doing it are going to find a reason to defend SO2R because it
gives you a competitive advantage over those that don't do it. Those small
advantages are often the difference between winning and losing.
Now that I more of a casual contester due to station limitations I see many
flaws in the SO2R concept. There seem to be too many ways that people can bend
the rules (or loop holes in the rules) and not be penalized. Problems always
seem to occur when a SO2R operator vacates his run frequency and someone else
takes it. A frequency fight usually occurs in that case with the SO2R operator
claiming the frequency as his even though he vacated it.
N6TR mentioned some who was calling CQ to solicit contacts on two bands at the
same time, That is definitely breaking the Special QSY Rule . Plus, how do you
prove that someone is not transmitting on two bands and the same time. I don't
think most SO2R operators have a lockout system. That would break the rules
because you be doing Multi-Multi in that case.
It seems many contests have this loop hole that if you are not transmitting on
two bands at the same time you are not operating two bands at the same time.
(even thought you might be in the middle of a QSO with someone on one of those
bands.) How are you ever going prove someone is cheating? The only way I see
that you could do it is to have something like the 10 minute rule they have for
M/S stations in many contests - But that would probably take away the
competitve advantage you gained doing SO2R.
Jeff KU8E
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