[CQ-Contest] SO R or not 2R?

[Warren C. Stankiewicz]

I've been reading with great interest the recent discussions on the uses and abuses of SO2R operating, and some truths become apparent:

Certainly, it's an acquired skill. It also appears to be a skill some operators have a difficult time acquiring. The solution: it's always important to work on your operating skills, no matter where you are on the contesting ability chart.

Of course, there's also the issue of when to practice, and how? Certainly, while operating SO2R poorly in an event such as the Sprints may be obnoxious to many, would you rather see it there, or deal with it in CQ WW or SS? Surely, if this is an issue affecting Sprints and NAQP, we need to develop more operating events where people can practice this sometimes diificult-to-master technique.

I feel there is a larger issue of which poor SO2R operating is merely a symptom--an addiction to running. Too many people have fallen into the habit of simply plopping on a band and calling CQ. Without having to learned to S&P, or perhaps, without having to learned to *listen*, many ops simply earn a bad name for themselves and increase frustration for everyone else. You have to walk before you can run, folks. Yes, running on a band is more fun, but winning is even more fun. The best ops know this.

I don't operate SO2R, although it would be easy to do with some outside help. I still know too many people, though, who could beat me with just one radio, and beat me easily, for me to go through the trouble, time, expense and effort to try to reconfigure everything. Yes, I agree that every little bit, every single QSO you can squeeze out, makes a difference. But if you're not good at operating one rig, what makes you think you'd be any better at operating two simultaneously?

With malice towards none,

Warren, NF1J/6