VE3CX wrote:
> Being good at SO2R means you have spent a LOT of time with your
> radio(s) getting to that point - something that a "single radio
> contester just getting started" has NOT done. In that time, you
> have also made improvements to your station, become better at
> "reading" the bands based on how they sound, understand what the
> greyline means, and a thousand other tricks that seem to never get
> written down and only come from experience.
Very well said.
The potential advantage of SO2R is more efficient use of time,
accomplished by listening while transmitting. This technique
was explained in detail almost 14 years ago by K1ZM in the
National Contest Journal. Read Jeff's excellent article entitled
"Maximizing Single-Operator Contest Productivity" in the March/April
1994 issue of the NCJ. In particular, read the section called
"Time Multiprocessing Operation During a Contest."
I would like to point out that the "time-sharing" advantage
of SO2R can be exploited without a great deal of hardware
investment. While I now have a full-blown automated SO2R setup,
I built it up a piece at a time over the years. Long before
I had automated relays and before products like the DX Doubler
were available, I was finding multipliers while transmitting.
I did this using a tube type receiver and a random wire
thrown out the window. Using the old 75A-4 receiver with
a simple headphone switch from Radio Shack parts (W5ASP
design) I was able to find multipliers on 10 meters while
calling CQ on 15 meters. I'd spot the station on the 75A-4,
punch that frequency into a memory on the IC-765, and work
him when the time was right. Later on, the random wire was
replaced with real antennas, and the reciever with a second
transciever. Over time I added the filters, automated switching
and all of the other little things that help. This year I'm adding
stubs, in my never-ending quest for SO2R high power on one tower.
The point is, the primary advantages of SO2R can obtained at
very little cost. Like everything else in this hobby, the sky
is the limit after that. I don't know of anyone doing SO2R who
hasn't first tried to maximize other aspects of their station as
much as possible. If you want to start exploring the advantages
of SO2R, I suggest trying a second receiver first, with a simple
antenna. Use some simple protection on the receiver's antenna input
(a small light bulb, small fuse, or back-to-back diode strings.)
Just try it yourself, and see if you are missing anything. You
might like it, or it might not be your cup of tea. You might find
it gives you a great big headache. :-)
SO2R can be a lot of fun. It is important to understand that when you
lose a run frequency, you lose a run frequency. Be prepared to lose
your frequency a lot, especially in the big contests, while you learn
how and when to "pounce" without missing a beat on your run frequency.
I've been working at SO2R for a decade now, and consider myself so-so.
It really is a hard skill to master. Give it a try. Fire up that old
receiver you have laying around, and see what you can hear while you
are transmitting. You might be surprised. Especially when we get some
spots back on old Sol.
73
-Kirk K4RO
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