[CQ-Contest] Non-assisted & Assisted

[Steve London]

Comments inline.

73,
Steve, N2IC

On 01/28/2013 05:52 PM, Martin , LU5DX wrote:
>> Sorry Steve.
>> Your arguments do either 1) defy logic or 2) are poor resoning for not
>> combining the categories. See my comments below.
>
> "...Written from the viewpoint of someone who is always on the
> receiving-end of 48 hour pileups. For the other 99% of us, combining the
> two categories does not increase our operating pleasure, nor does it
> lead to a feeling of satisfaction for a job well done when it is over.
> It just means more frustration as we spend the weekend mouse-clicking
> from one huge pileup to the next huge pileup...."
>
>> Nobody forces you to use packet assistance if categories are merged.
>>   You can continue to operate as you please. In fact, most juicy
>> multipliers are found by just tuning up and down the band and you
>> usually spend less time calling the DX than if you jump on a packet
>> generated pile up.

At least in the USA, if you want to win in the combined category, you 
will absolutely need to use packet assistance. And before you and others 
tell me that historically, the top unassisted scores have been higher 
than the assisted scores, let me make a comment that is certain to 
offend some readers. In the USA, almost without exception, the best 
operators, using the best equipped stations operate unassisted. That is 
the reason they have higher scores than the assisted stations. When a 
great operator, using a great station, operates in the assisted 
category, they always outscore the top unassisted station. Since you 
want data to back up my assertions, here it is:

CQWW CW 2012

USA SOAB HP
K3CR(LZ4AX)       4628   172   578    48 10,097,250 NCC
K0DQ(@WW1WW)      4637   166   581    45 10,008,306 PVRC

USA SOAB(A) HP
K5ZD              4659   167   631    42 10,745,868 YCCC

And Randy did this operating 42 hours, not 45 or 48 hours.

CQWW SSB 2011

USA SOAB HP
K1DG	SO HP ALL	9,459,060	4,699	166	558	41.3	

USA SOAB(A) HP
NN3W	SA HP ALL	11,828,236	4,921	185	683	44.7	@N3HBX

222 more QSO's and a whopping 144 more multipliers !

>
> "....Only because there is cheating by assisted operators who claim to
> be unassisted. However, as you point out in your next assertion, they
> are being caught..."
>
>> No. They are not being caught. And there is no way to determine if a
>> contester has used a DX cluster to take advantage of 1, 10 or 30 mults
>> over the  weekend. Pretending that is possible to a 100 % is not serious.

That is not what Tonno, ES5TV, a recent member of the CQWW Contest 
Committee says in his posting.