[CQ-Contest] motivation for ARRL M/S rules?

[Trey Garlough]

> Can anyone offer the rationale for the "6 band changes/hr"
> rule in ARRL m/s?

Originally there were no band change limits for multi-"single"
operations.  But turning all those knobs on the TX, RX and KW was a
lot of work, so people got smart and then started setting up
additional stations for fast band-changing.  Then people got smarter
and realized they could find and work multipliers on the second
station while the first station waited, and still only have one signal
on the band.

Then some folks got even smarter and realized they could actually make
rate on two (or more) stations and the same time and still
"technically" consider them themselves to be multi-single.  To keep
the stations from transmitting concurrently so as to ensure compliance
with the rules, an interlock device known as an "octopus" was born.

At this point, people thought things were getting out of hand
(especially the teams that truly had but a single transmitter!), so
the people who make up the rules got even smarter yet and created a
thing called a "10 minute rule" which basically says "once you work a
guy on one band, you have to remain camped on that band for 10 minutes
before you can make a contact on another band."  This rule limited the
multi single boys to a maximum of six band changes per hour, negating
the power of the octopus.

Of course, every rule that solves a problem creates two more (only
two, if you are lucky).  The two problems created by the ten-minute
rule are like this: 1) if I rush down to 160 to work NP4Z, and NP4Z is
the only guy on the band at that time, then I have to spend 10 minutes
eating static and watching the clock, and 2) if 8P9Z calls me on 10
and I need Barbados on 15 and 20, then I can pass him 15 but now we
can't move to 20 because I have to camp on 15 for another 9.75
minutes.  Ugh!

Recently some people got really, really smart and figured out that a
"6 band change per hour rule" would be functionaly equivalent to a
"ten minute rule" and successfully sold their idea to the ARRL, so we
get to try it out this year for the first time and discover the two
problems it creates.  :-)

--Trey, N5KO


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