Food for thought

Sat Jul 8 09:19:16 EDT 1995

In a message dated 95-07-07 17:13:33 EDT, n0dh at comtch.iea.com writes:

>
>My crumbs for cerebal consumption:
>
>Move CQWpx from Memroial Day to the end of April.....YES!!!
>Move ARRL 10 meter test to October...................Don't care
>Move CQWW away from T'giving weekend.................NO!!!
>
>Dave
>N0DH/7
>
>

Dave wrote, er...crumbed:
>
>Move CQWpx from Memroial Day to the end of April.....YES!!!
>Move ARRL 10 meter test to October...................Don't care
>Move CQWW away from T'giving weekend.................NO!!!
>
>Dave
>N0DH/7
>
I agree, and I would like to add this thought, "How about swapping PH and CW
weekends on alternating years?"  Thanksgiving weekend is a difficult weekend,
thou not impossible, it would be nice to not have to rush from Michigan to
Indiana early Friday.

73, K8Joe"Palooka"
jpontek at aol.com

>From Rich L. Boyd" <rlboyd at CapAccess.org  Sat Jul  8 16:43:33 1995
From: Rich L. Boyd" <rlboyd at CapAccess.org (Rich L. Boyd)
Date: Sat, 8 Jul 1995 11:43:33 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: other reflector adrs
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91-FP.950708114129.20791A-100000 at cap1.capaccess.org>

When we were discussing other reflectors available for other subjects so 
that we don't have to discuss it all here on the CONTEST Reflector, 
several people asked for the addresses of the other reflectors:

Here are the ones I know, that I subscribe to:

RTTY:       wf1b-rtty at eng.pko.dec

PROPAGATION:   prop at digimark.net

DX:  dx at ve7tcp.ampr.org

At least I think I have those right.  73

Rich Boyd KE3Q

>From Rich L. Boyd" <rlboyd at CapAccess.org  Sat Jul  8 17:02:29 1995
From: Rich L. Boyd" <rlboyd at CapAccess.org (Rich L. Boyd)
Date: Sat, 8 Jul 1995 12:02:29 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: WAE and PACKET
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91-FP.950708115743.20791B at cap1.capaccess.org>

Weighing in on SO vs SOA, prompted by N3RR's interesting comments, which 
I tend to agree with...

1.  I think K3WW's Dayton presentation (single op distracted) was 3 
Daytons ago, which was 2 years and 3 months ago.

2.  I like N3RR's view of it that it's a whole-nother animal entirely.

3.  SOA is fun; it has some aspects that are like being part of a 
multi-multi, the cameraderie of doing the contest together with other 
people, and yet you have your whole station to yourself to operate where 
and when you want.

4.  If I ever get my station a little more built, a little more reliable, 
rotators working, etc. I may well jump in all band in the SOA category as 
opposed to SO.  Then again, maybe I'll be SO.  Haven't decided.  But, I'd 
like to think I may be competitive in either.  I think it's possible that 
someday there will be a SOA station/op that consistently puts in a score 
that would be top 10 in SO, high top 10 in SO, or even at the top of SO, 
by comparison.  If that station/op sometimes also op SO, it may be 
interesting to compare the results, etc.

73

Rich Boyd KE3Q

>From Jeff Singer <k0od at MO.NET>  Sat Jul  8 20:49:33 1995
From: Jeff Singer <k0od at MO.NET> (Jeff Singer)
Date: Sat, 8 Jul 1995 14:49:33 -0500
Subject: SOA vs SO
Message-ID: <199507081949.OAA12229 at Walden.MO.NET>

I usually operate un-assisted in contests with my modest station, most often 
single band on 40 or 80.  If I hear some Zero district big gun working the 
same category, I'll take a few spots from packet and switch mid-stream to SOA. 
I therefore preserve my chance to win a certificate. I become SOA *because* my 
score is poor. 
       -----------------------------
       Jeff K0OD  St. Louis, MO  USA
            e-mail:   k0od at mo.net
       -----------------------------

>From Kurt Pauer <0006743923 at mcimail.com>  Sun Jul  9 00:36:00 1995
From: Kurt Pauer <0006743923 at mcimail.com> (Kurt Pauer)
Date: Sat, 8 Jul 95 18:36 EST
Subject: More SO vs SOA
Message-ID: <83950708233638/0006743923ND5EM at MCIMAIL.COM>

                        More SO vs SOA 

The debate between George and Barry is a rehash of a thread from several
months ago.  I have operated both SO and SOA in the past.  I can say 
unequivocally, that SOA has produced a much higher score for me than plain
SO.  I have operated the CQWW both ways using a TS-930/AL-1200 and a single 
100 ft tower.  My strategy would be to call CQ for as long as I could
hold a frequency.  When I got blown off by a loud station, I would resort
to S&P until I could find another frequency.  

In SOA, I would go from packet spot to packet spot.  I would hardly lose 
my rate because I wouldn't have to wait for the DX to give his callsign 
(I already knew it from the spot and would confirm it during the QSO) and 
I wouldn't waste time making duplicate QSO's.  When I found a clear 
frequency, I would resume CQing.  If the rate started to slow down, I 
would pick off spots on the same band using the other VFO.  About a third 
of the time, I would lose my CQ frequency to someone, but that's the chance 
I took.  Usually, the gain of a couple multipliers, especially doubles, 
made up for the frequency loss.  I don't feel that I lost that many
QSO's by being "distracted", but I had great multiplier totals.  (One
year in CQWW CW, I worked over 100 countries on 40, 20, 15, 10 and had
about 70 on 80 meters and 30 on 160.)  I was also able to chat with Stu,
KC1F, in TALK mode comparing totals which was fun.

In SO, I would CQ more and S&P less.  I would wait for the rate to really
slow down and then I would start from one end of the band and work 
everything that was new.  If I came across a clear frequency, I would 
try the CQ's again.  S&P is a lot slower without packet.  I probably should 
CQ more and hope the multipliers come to me.  But I always worry that I 
will miss something and I do spend more time than I should looking for mults.  
This is where the top SO's can make higher scores as they are not distracted 
looking for multipliers with or without packet.

George is right in the observation that packet users have much higher
multiplier/QSO ratios.  When SO scores are posted showing much higher
ratios than others in the same geographic area, I am generally suspicious
of the score.  I don't think I'm the only one.  A few years back, I gave
my score on 3830 and said "assisted".  Doug, K1DG, thought I said "un-
assisted" and put it out that way on Internet the next day and I was in 
the top ten mostly because of the multiplier.  I was getting messages on 
packet congratulating me and asking how I got such a "nice" multiplier.  
I was unaware of the scores on the Reflector.  I thought this was real 
neat, I was finally getting recognition for the fine operator that I 
thought I was, and then the bubble burst when Fred, K3ZO, asked me a 
couple days later on 80CW how I got such a big multiplier unassisted.  
I told him it was assisted and he told me about the Internet report.

The bottom line is that your peers can figure out these things and you 
are talked about at Dayton and Visalia.  Like Italian 300 watt stations,
some things just stand out.   Contest.  

                               Kurt, W1PH