Hi Lew...Since you are obviously an HF Philosophy person, I suggest that
you only operate contests where the legacy HF rules are in effect. For
those hopelessly stuck in the past, that would be all the ARRL
contests....especially the EME contest.
The new CQ rules for spotting ONLY affect people that are attempting
digital MS or digital EME contacts. For all other contacts, for both
Single-ops and Multi-ops, no "Active Assistance" is allowed. I believe
that ALL stations should be allowed to spot their Call, Frequency, and
Sequence ONLY. However, the CQ approach appears to be a nice
compromise. Several contests now allow this approach. I believe that
more will do so in the future. When spotting first came to the HF
world, the outcries were something to behold. But the Genie is now out
of the bottle...and it cannot be put back. A large number of HF
operators take spotting for granted.
I have never understood why Single-ops were restricted by a whole set of
discriminatory rules. I have certainly never understood why they put up
with those rules. These rules are clearly designed to diminish their
chances to make valid contacts--which after all, is the Contest Objective.
I have never understood why the ARRL contest rules are full of
restrictions that cannot be verified...in other words, no one would know
if you broke them or not. Such rules are stupid and should be deleted.
Rules that are made just for the august few that live in the NE "Golden
Corridor" also should not be there. Contrary to what the HQ types
think, the ARRL does not exist just for the pleasure of a few cognizenti
in the NE.
I am not an SO2R type of person--I am a Multi-Multi type person. Hence
I cannot say whether or not your SO2R proposal has any merit or not. I
have not searched the rules to see what they say about such a thing.
Most probably, for the CQ contest, any such rules could be easily
circumvented by making sure that you call CQ on only one band at a time,
but listen to both bands. I am not up to such mental wizardry, so I
will leave it to the young minds out there.
SO....Yes, the new CQ rules are wonderful. They will generate more
activity and more contacts. They don't discriminate against the
Single-op stations. The CQ WW VHF contest will be an even more fun
contest than it is now.....Clearly, a win-win situation. Of course some
will not agree....
73 Marshall K5QE
On 4/22/2011 6:57 AM, Lew Sayre wrote:
> Yo,
> Wow. What a bunch of simply wonderful changes for the VHF radio contest!
> Now there is not really much difference between a multi-op and a single
> op. No need to emphasize the ancient skill of tuning and looking for contest
> contacts as the internet will take over that function. That kind of stuff is
> for those stodgy single operator HF types anyway who believe that the
> interaction between a radio and the operator depends on developed skills and
> not developed packetcluster services.
> But let us not stop there! The avowed purpose of this rule change is to
> increase the number of available possible contacts and to protect confused
> contest entrants. This is an admirable pursuit.
> A modest proposal:
> 1) Allow the single Op to operate both bands simultaneously. SO2R is a way
> of life on HF. This would be the next logical step for SO2R, except the Op
> would be Tx on 2 bands at the same time.This contest has only 2 bands so
> this is a perfect fit! This would complete the assimilation of single Op
> into multi-Op and keep the number of entry categories down to a reasonable
> number. This would also increase the amount of RF in the air for the
> contest.
> 2) Allow duplicate contacts. If we really wish to increase the number of
> contacts then allow dupes! Maybe there should be one or two non dupes in
> between the dupes but that could be figured out. We could sure have a whole
> lot of transmitting and qso making then which is the emphasis, correct?
> 3) Allow credit for hearing a beacon and entering the frequency correctly.
> This will more than make up for the loss of skills which enable a competent
> Op to tune a band and work what is there.
>
> These are just a few ideas to offer for the advancement of the CQ WW
> VHF Contest. Perhaps there are other forward thinking radio people out there
> to come up with a few others.
> 73 and I remain,
> Lew W7EW
>
> /satire mode-now OFF/
>
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