[CQ-Contest] Get Rid of the Assisted Category

[Jamie Dupree NS3T]

If you get rid of the Assisted category - who does it help or hurt?

The first people it actually helps would be the low power crowd.  Right now it makes
no sense to go assisted and low power, because there is no real category
in CQ WW, ARRL DX and NOV SS for SOAB (A) LP.  

Instead you are lumped in with all the high power guys.  (And NO, I don't 
want to create another category, thank you....this is about making it
single op versus single op.)

I understand the argument that some want to have a "clean" single-op
category....just you and the radio.  I actually agree with that view.

But - the pragmatist in me sees the contest community wasting much
too much time arguing over rules and what constitutes assistance
while the software associated with contesting expands almost weekly.

Meantime, many of the guys who dutifully get on the radio during
contests to hand out points to the serious ops can't imagine why
the use of Geoclock might make them a candidate for assisted.
(And I would argue when using packet puts you in the multi-op
category, we probably dampen participation, because many will
figure they can't really compete against a true multi and win.)

Super check partial?  Geoclock/DX Atlas?  Propagation programs like
Zone prop?  Live scoreboards?  Directional CQ's that might make someone
note that on the cluster?  How about the guy operating at someone's station
who keeps making Q's while the station owner tweaks an antenna for him
during the contest?  And on and on.  The assistance threads are endless.

Check out the results this year on 3830 from both modes of Nov SS, WPX,
CQ WW and ARRL DX.  The only time the assisted side had a higher
claimed score  -  LP in WW SSB & CW and HP in ARRL DX CW.

CQ WW SSB 2006
 
USA SOAB HP
NN3W(@N3HBX)      3019   136   474    5,042,260 
 
USA SOAB(A) HP
WE3C              2076   148   548    4,000,608 
 
USA SOAB LP
N1UR              1094    92   333    1,279,675 
 
USA SOAB(A) LP
K1BX              1267   104   373    1,691,919 
 

CQ WW CW 2006
 
USA SOAB HP
K5ZD              4133   159   537    8,233,680 
 
USA SOAB(A) HP
KI1G              3295   167   614    7,324,218 
 
USA SOAB LP
N1UR              1800   116   380    2,524,532 
 
USA SOAB(A) LP
K1BX              1615   122   429    2,541,212 
 
 

NOV SS CW 2006
 
Single Op HP
WP3R(KE3Q)        1571    80    250,720 
 
SO Unlimited HP
K6LL              1344    80    215,040 

 
Single Op LP
K0EU              1247    80    199,520 
 
SO Unlimited LP
K7RE               926    80    148,160 
 
 

NOV SS SSB 2006
 
Single Op HP
WP3R(KE3Q)        2331    80    372,960 
 
SO Unlimited HP
K7RL              1817    80    290,720 
 
Single Op LP
K0UK              1326    80    212,160 
 
SO Unlimited LP
K4EJ(@WK2G)        861    80    137,760 
 

CQ WPX CW - 2006
 
USA SOAB HP
WC1M(@KT1V)       3003   908    8,736,776 
 
USA SO(A)AB HP
K3WW              2409   815    6,216,005 
 
USA SOAB LP
NV1N(N1UR)        1968   725    4,109,300 
 
USA SO(A)AB LP
N4BAA              800   468    1,023,984 
 

CQ WPX SSB - 2006
 
USA SOAB HP
K3ZO              2473   908    6,388,688 
 
USA SO(A)AB HP
NY6DX(@W2WHP)     2139   899    5,011,925 
 
USA SOAB LP
NV1N(N1UR)        1450   669    2,211,045 
 
USA SO(A)AB LP
AB4GG              723   393      642,162 

 
ARRL DX SSB - 2006
 
US/VE SOAB HP
VE3EJ             2991   418    3,693,030 
 
US/VE SOAB(A) HP
K1AR(@K1DG)       1738   394    2,054,316 
 
US/VE SOAB LP
N1UR              1194   307    1,100,700 
 
US/VE SOAB(A) LP
N4KG               772   319      738,804 


ARRL DX CW - 2006
 
US/VE SOAB HP
N9RV              3641   435    4,751,505 
 
US/VE SOAB(A) HP
KI1G              3873   477    5,507,919 
 
US/VE SOAB LP
N1UR              2251   350    2,330,866 
 
US/VE SOAB(A) LP
N4KG               909   378    1,030,806