[CQ-Contest] SO2R Category

[Franki ON5ZO]

>> The point is IT'S THE ANTENNAS and LOCATION that make the
>> difference in many cases.  Not SO2R.  I wouldn't hesitate in
>> an instant to go to SO1R from my current station vs. SO2R
>> from my old station.  SO2R is a red herring..its the whole
>> package that wins.not SO2R.  I love SO2R and would not want
>> to give it up, but for those in the contesting community that
>> keep focusing on SO2R as a separate category, it just IS NOT
>> the BIG EQUALIZER.IT'S THE ANTENNAS!

I can confirm:
2001-2004 = random wire, SmartTuner, 100W: approx 4000 QSO each year.

2004 = simple low multiband dipole, no 160m, 100W, 1 rig = 8125 QSO

2005 = started with a 21m tower, KT34XA tribander, WARC dipole and support 
for "serious" 40/80m antennas = 18195 QSO
That's a 224% increase over the simple wire!!!

2006 = same antennas, but added 1kW QRO and SO2R: 17910 QSO, even less QSO 
now (no propagation!).

2007 = better 80m DX antenna, added resonant 160m antenna = +22000 QSO so 
far.

All these years I did the same contests and spent about the same time in the 
shack.
It's all in the dB's from mostly antennas and some added power... My simple 
numbers confirm this in my specific case. And maybe some skills built over 
the years? But NOT the second radio. Sometimes it even slows you (well... 
me) down.

But: SO2R keeps you busy in the contest and keeps you awake when the one rig 
rate would gently rock you asleep. SO2R is fun and adds to the score but 
indeed: it doesn't weight as much as the antennas. No pun intended.

So, now on to a seperate category per number of elements on the yagi? And 
you have to submit pictures so you can't cheat on the yagi size! Of course 
the picture must show a recent newspaper, because didn't you just put up a 
bigger one than the one showing in the picture?
Let's cut the cr*p here and do what we should do and do best: making QSOs!

73 de Franki ON5ZO