[CQ-Contest] Two Reasons Why Assisted and Unassisted Should Be Merged

[JVarney]

I'm a relative newcomer, licensed in '09, small pistol. I admit I have little or no clue about a lot of contesting history or some of the traditions; I respect them, but I admit I don't know all of them. I can only comment on how I see things as they are today.

In my view this whole Assisted vs. Unassisted debate is somewhat overblown and out of step with reality. I think the two classes should be merged for two reasons:

-- Assisteds Don't Win. In all three classes of the just concluded CQ WW DX, the top scoring SOAB HP outscored the top SOAB HP(A). SOAB LP beat SOAB LP(A). SOAB QRP defeated SOAB QRP(A). Same result in CQ WPX. I haven't done a statistical analysis but looking at the scores it appears there's not a big difference between the two categories as a whole. The supposed advantage that Skimmer and spots provide to the operator is not visible in the results. This doesn't surprise me; I find a lot of the spots to be dead ends, either because I can't hear them or they have QSY'd. Half the time I end up turning the VFO anyway.

Separate categories only make sense if the results show a measurable difference between them. The power categories HP, LP and QRP show this; there is a large and clear difference in scores between the three power levels. When the distinction between the categories show up in the results, it verifies that the categories are providing a useful and clear division.

-- Clusters Assist Running Unassisteds. The popular QRO running stations, who are mostly Unassisted, get spotted early and often. This draws the Assisteds to running stations like moths to a light bulb. And so while running stations aren't using the cluster directly, they benefit greatly from it. You can't beat free worldwide advertising! Click here and work us...

I see this as a major logical fallacy of the Assisted class: it assumes that the effect of using the cluster are confined to the operator using it. In reality the cluster impacts both sides of the QSO. The large swarming pileups around fresh spots prove that point. 

In conclusion I see no downsides to merging Assisted with Unassisted. If you want to embrace the latest technology, use the internet and computer-based tools. If you want to tune around and find your own contacts, then enjoy doing that. The evidence suggests that merging the two styles together in one class will cause no harm in their resulting scores and will not change the results. If the telnet/cluster/Skimmer experiment has demonstrated anything, it's that running stations will always win. And there's one other benefit of merging Assisted and Unassisted: it will end the long debates on CQ-Contest!

73 Jim K6OK