[CQ-Contest] ARRL DX contest class's

[N6YG]

Okay folks this was only my second ARRL DX contest so I'm still new to 
this contesting thing.. I'm trying to upload data to the 3830 page and I 
need clarification on what class I actually worked.

Whats the difference between "SOAB" with HP selected for power and "SO 
unlimited"  I assume that SOAB is Single Operator All Bands.. As Best I 
can tell "SO Unlimited" allows you to use spotting tools such as DX 
clusters While "SOAB" doesn't. If I'm wrong please let me know..

Anyhow fun contest, I really should have started contesting long ago as 
I really have a lot of fun.   I managed 190 contacts 87 mults and a 
projected score of a measly 49,590.. Which is about 10,000 less then 
last year so you could say I was a bit disappointed.

The results were disappointing,  This year I used high power and the 
N1MM logging software which seemed like it should have help because it 
showed who was a multi and with a quick key click I was on freq..

Last year I didn't use any spotting help and ran 100 watts.. I simply 
spun the dial and used my memory and the logger to see who I had 
previously worked.. It was much more work yet I scored higher then with 
the more advanced software, DX cluster and high power?? Go figure ..!! 
Where the bands really that much worse this year.. or did I just get 
lazy compared to last year ??

Heck this year I even used a headset (CM500),  I swore after last years 
contest I would never do it again with a hand mike as it's really 
frustrating to try and type while hold a mike at the same time.

  Then again I don't think I worked nearly as many hours as my wife just 
had to drag me out right in the middle of a contest to deal with 
contractors who were trying to install the wrong cabinets and carpet at 
the new house we're moving into "Yeah 3.5 acres for antennas" But the 
house is old, sucks and is falling apart so I had to spend like 7 hours 
dealing with problems right at the start of the contest Oh-well the 
price we pay for peace, quit and the ability to put up as many antennas 
as we want.

I actually thought we might have been in the house before the contest. I 
even had a hex beam and a 50 foot push up mast waiting on the ground in 
anticipation. Unfortunately we got the go ahead just days before the 
contest arrggg..

Anyhow 73
N6YG