[CQ-Contest] Contest Teams

[Ward Silver]

Opening up the team competition to be more than just combining scores 
would be very interesting.  The software to allow multiple stations to 
interact as a "distributed multi-multi" already exists. Remote 
multi-operator stations are already straightforward, if not easy, as the 
K4VV team has demonstrated.  So the idea of multiple operators using 
multiple stations is certainly do-able, although with the demise of the 
WW X-treme category, such operation does not have a "home" in any major 
contest at the moment.

Here are some possible team scenarios:

1) Multiple operators using one station via remote links, ala K4VV.
2) Multiple independent stations networked together for logging, ala 
many IARU HQ operations
3) Multiple stations with a single operator using remote control and 
networked together
     3a) All stations are single-band throughout the contest
     3b) All stations are multi-band but the team is limited to one 
signal per band
     3c) Combination of single- and multi-band stations plus multiplier 
stations
4) Receive-only stations added in "partner mode" over the network to 
support transmitting station

I'm sure this inventive audience will think of many more ways to combine 
multiple operators and multiple stations :-)  Deciding on strategies 
would be challenging - do you optimize by station capability, by 
operator capability, how do you allocate time slots between operators 
and stations, etc etc etc.  I mean, really, we've been playing 
essentially the same game for upwards of 80 years. Surely there are 
other useful ways of competing.

On the second question - why don't we ask them?  I completely agree that 
what they come up with would be unlikely to look all that familiar but 
it would probably be fun.  As long as the resulting activity advances 
radio know-how and operating skill, why not?

73, Ward N0AX

On 12/3/2013 11:00 AM, cq-contest-request at contesting.com wrote:
> > Or thinking of a team situation, what if you were in a team of six, one on
> >each continent, in say a 24 hour contest using traditional scoring but you
> >could only operate 4 hours each.  Using instant messaging or voice chat to
> >co-ordinate your plans, what tactics would you employ?  Would that be fun
> >to try?  Who knows you may even make new friends.
> >
> > (snip)
> >
> >Finally as someone else said how would a bunch of gamers design a radio
> >contest?  I suspect quite differently to what we have now.
> >
> >73
> >Mark ZL3AB