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[Trey Garlough]

> We run into problems often with splitting air time between the two
> stations.  Each operator of course thinks that their job is the most
> important at that time.  
>
> It seems to me that there would be several strategies:
> 1. Talk whenever you want (illegal, it seems)
> 2. When the run station has a rate, no mults get worked
> 3. Whenever there is a mult to work, the run station stops
> 4. Try to interleave calls as much as possible and keep both
>    stations on the air (this is pretty much our way)

It depends on the contest.  The CQWW contest Multi-Single is really
a limited Multi-Two category, where the second station is free to 
work mults.  In ARRL Multi-Single, there is only one signal permitted
on the band at a time.  Thus, #1 is illegal in ARRL, but not CQ.

> Are there any comments on how M/S stations can operate and both
> keep a CQ frequency and work multipliers?  We are pretty much aware
> that multipliers are not the most important thing in the contest.

Yes and no.  The advice I give to aspiring single ops is to concentrate
more on QSOs and less on mults.  Occasionally the station who makes the
most QSOs doesn't win the contest, but it is not the norm.  Once you
reach the skill level where you are making within %5-%10 of the QSOs of 
the top scorers in your region, if you find that your mults are down,
then you can start thinking about improving that part of the score.

As N5AU says:  "Multipliers answer CQs."  A lot of time spent multiplier
hunting is wasted because those guys call you anyhow.  If you get on a
band and call CQ all day on 10 or 15 with a reasonable signal (KW and 
tribander), most of the regulars will eventually give you a call, including 
guys like 4K2MAL, UO5ON, UC2ADX, SV1DO, TK5EL, 5Z4FO, etc.  The guys you
really need to seek out are low band mults and any hard-core Caribbean
expedition types:  P40V, 8R1K, 8P9X, and such.  And those guys do run
around answering people, but not usually USA stations.

If you are tempted to make a comment like "4K2MAL has never answered my
CQ!" you need to ask yourself the following question:  "Have I really
called CQ with a KW and a beam on 15 meters *all day* during a DX contest?"  
Most people haven't.  The garden variety multipliers from the first list
are folks mostly like the average ham who is active in DX contests.  They 
are mostly running 100 watts and a beam.  The get tired of calling CQ after
a while, so they dial around and see what's on the band and answer CQs, 
because it's more fun than working 30/hr CQing.

> As a side note, does anyone use some sort of lockout switch to keep
> the two radios off the air at once?  We raise our hands or give stony
> glares at the other op, but I'd be interested if anyone uses hardware.

Some people use real live interlocks.  At K4VX I think they have a
baseball hat they pass around.  The guy wearing the hat is the guy who
is "live."  If you don't have the hat, then you don't get to transmit.

--Trey, WN4KKN