[CQ-Contest] Question for Experienced SO2R Ops

[Dick Green WC1M]

Pete,

My station is symmetrical, in that either radio can get at any unused
antenna. However, I tend to run on the "better" radio, which lately had been
the Ten Tec Orion. The receiver is so good on the Orion that even my beloved
FT-1000D can't hold a candle to it for running on a crowded band. Also, I
always pair the better radio with the "better" amp (my 87A rather than my
2000A.) So, the bottom line is that I usually don't swap roles. I do swap
roles sometimes in contests where 80 and 160 are important (e.g., CQ WW, but
not CQ WPX.) That's because the 1000D is excellent on those bands and they
don't tend to be as crowded (i.e., subject to IMD.)

Before anyone flames me, let me say that the 1000D and 2000A are great in
their own right. I just think the Orion and 87A are slightly better for
running.

The main reason I have symmetrical antennas is that I want maximum
flexibility for both running and S&P. I usually have a high-quality antenna
available for both.

73, Dick WC1M

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Pete Smith [mailto:n4zr at contesting.com] 
> Sent: Saturday, May 29, 2004 5:34 PM
> To: cq-contest at contesting.com
> Subject: [CQ-Contest] Question for Experienced SO2R Ops
> 
> 
> Under what circumstances do you swap the roles of your two 
> radios -- in 
> other words, begin running with the S&P radio, and put the 
> Run radio to 
> work S&Ping?  I'm not thinking about situations where you 
> might run one or 
> two on the S&P radio in a quirky situation, but where you 
> actually want to 
> change their respective roles for a period of time.  In my 
> station, the 
> second radio antenna setup and power is so inferior to the 
> first radio that 
> this rarely arises, but I don't know what the situation is in 
> stations that 
> are more nearly "symmetrical."
> 
> 73, Pete N4ZR
> The World HF Contest Station Database
> was updated on April 26, 2004
> 2706 contest stations at
> www.pvrc.org/WCSD/WCSDsearch.htm  
> 
> 
>