[CQ-Contest] Packet cheating

[Robert Shohet]

> Bob, I am not saying SO2R is easy, not at all...I know this, as I have
been
> experimenting with it for the past year!  What I am saying is where do we
> draw the line?  As you would agree, SO2R is an an atvantage over single
radio
> operation.  With SO2R, you CAN find mults that normally you would not.

There are endless advantages one can acheive within the rules.  Using
software is an advantage over paper logging.  Using RG213 is an advantage
over RG8X.  Using wire beams is an advantage over Inverted V's.  The line
has been drawn and redrawn time and time again.  I started contesting when
there was no such thing as a LP category, or categories for "Rookies", or TS
& Single Element, etc.
We are better off with many of the new categories of today (compared to 25
years ago) but the bottom line is that all these categories have one thing
in common - the operating functions are performed by one person and one
person only without any outside assistance.  Packet is NOT one person only.

> It is agreed that in DX contests, tall towers with big mono-banders have
an
> advatage over a guy with a low dipole. Even if both are in the small power
> class.  What, no class for big antennas? ( yeah, WPX has T/S class...)
>
> You hear very little, if anything, about making SO2R a seperate class.

This is not true at all.  Aside fron the fact that I and other SO2R guys
have been hearing this discussion for more than 15 years, the reflector
archives are full of hundreds of posts on this subject, which is brought up
repeatedly each year mostly by people who don't want to make the effort
necessary to become proficient at SO2R.  Others believe that it "costs too
much" to have a SO2R station - this has been endlessly debated before.  But
the cost of a TS-830, and a second-hand vertical (or inv v's) is not very
great.  This is what I used at times in the past (barefoot too!).

Mostly people gravitate to SO2R for three reasons:

1) To increase their score
2) To challenge themselves as well as reduce boredom
3) To be competitive with the top guys in their category.

You > hear very little if anything about making a class for guys with
antennas over
> 50'.  Or mono-banders. Or stacks. Or 1500 watts compared to 600.
>
No true.  This is also brought up repeatedly and debated endlessly.

>Why not just bunch packet in with these other items?

Simple.  Because packet is ASSISTANCE from other people.  SO2R is not.

Bob KQ2M


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