[CQ-Contest] Single-Op - Stop the Rot.

[Keith Kerr]

Paul,
I fear we are raking over old ground here and can hear the 
the various camps' replies already........but I 
wholeheartedly agree. Cluster spotting etc is not going to 
go away and for M/M, M/S and Assisted operations that's 
fine...if that is how you wish to play. I am not, however, 
at all enthusiastic about the demise of the 'unassisted' 
category. I cannot buy into the arguement that it is simply 
another piece of station technology with which to improve 
your performance. This is DIFFERENT. I also feel that the 
arguement that "people (some) use it anyway (ie CHEAT) 
therefore just allow it", does not hold water. What was it 
someone said recently on this reflector about 'dumbing 
down'??
If you need/want someone else to find mults for you during 
the contest....fine, the assisted category is just as valid 
as any other, just have the guts to admit it and enter the 
appropriate section. Of course rumours abound, sometimes 
based on little fact and more than a little jealousy, but I 
guess we all know, or think we know of instances when we 
were up against guys  who were 'at it'. It has been very 
interesting operating at our GM7V/GZ7V M/M station where, 
yes, even in Shetland, we were receiving spots VERY 
quickly.....interesting because so often we would be on the 
Mult's frequency just as the pile-up develops and still be 
competing with well know calls in the SO 'unassisted' 
group. OK, statistically this can happen once or twice but 
several years experience suggest this is more than chance. 
Oh, and by the way, the pattern I describe just doesn't 
hang together with SO2R operating either....sorry!
What chance some log-checking detective work might snif out 
the rat and 'stop the rot'?
To those contest sponsors who do not wish to have both 
assisted and unassisted categories, a plea......stick to 
unassisted!
Just my thoughts.
Keith GM4YXI

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