[CQ-Contest] The 2021 Unassisted Challenge

[Jeff Clarke]

Many newer contesters don't know any other way to operate a contest than 
operating assisted. They spend every contest just pointing and clicking 
on spots, which doesn't really involve any skills at all. I see many 
posts on 3830 of those who comment they did no S&P at all and make all 
their QSO's by clicking on spots in the band map. If you have a nice 
station you can do pretty good operating this way. You can usually have 
a higher score than someone that is a more skillful operator but has a 
lesser station. Those of us who don't like this way of operating are 
often criticized as being not "keeping up with the times" or old fashioned.

I can totally understand why Bud thinks assisted is the way to go. AA3B 
along with others such as K3WW, K5ZD, N3RD and others are all 
accomplished SO2R operators, like to operate assisted and have nice 
contest stations. Adding assistance allows them to maximize their 
scores. There are other accomplished operators such as N6MJ, KL9A and 
N2NT and others that aren't really into operating assisted. So why 
should a single person decide that everyone should operate the way they 
prefer to operate? I run the Georgia QSO Party and I make all my rule 
decisions based on feedback I get and not my personal preference. There 
are rules I want to change but I don't because of that feedback I get. 
Bud heard lots of feedback on this reflector that opposed this rule 
change but chose to ignore it and go with his personal preferences.

I've been a contester for many years and frankly I'm turned off buy some 
of the current rules in contests. The "skill" factor doesn't really seem 
to matter as much as it did in the past. Many of you that have been 
around awhile before assistance and SO2R came about might remember back 
in the day when those who had the highest contest scores were those who 
made the right decisions such as "what band should I be running on" or 
"should I take a break right now".  Those days are gone because with 
today's assistive technology you don't  have to make that decision.

Either way I will still operate contests (especially CW) because that's 
what I've done my entire amateur radio life. I'm not so concerned about 
winning anything because I'm out gunned. It's just for the love of 
contesting I have.

Jeff  KU8E


On 3/12/2021 09:41 PM, N4ZR wrote:
> I had missed this change in the WPX rules, which I deplore, and I'm 
> glad that N6MJ et al have taken up the cudgels.  In my opinion it 
> never made any sense to merge assisted and unassisted.  Even though I 
> largely operate assisted, the distinction is real and should not be 
> ignored.  If the best operators went assisted, they would definitely 
> win, because S&P rates (when dueling 2-band CQs slow down) and 
> multiplier totals will definitely show an effect. Let those who want 
> one or the other make their choice - don't pretend there is no 
> practical difference.
>
> 73, Pete N4ZR
> Check out the new Reverse Beacon Network
> web server at <http://beta.reversebeacon.net>.
> For spots, please use your favorite
> "retail" DX cluster.
>
> On 3/12/2021 6:23 PM, Ken K6MR wrote:
>> This is wonderful!  Many have talked about doing something like this, 
>> but you have grabbed the ring!
>>
>> Thank you and I look forward to the results.  Real contesting!
>>
>> Ken K6MR
>>
>> From: Daniel Craig<mailto:unassistedchallenge at gmail.com>
>> Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2021 10:05
>> To: cq-contest at contesting.com<mailto:cq-contest at contesting.com>
>> Subject: [CQ-Contest] The 2021 Unassisted Challenge
>>
>> We invite U.S. Amateurs to participate in the 2021 Unassisted Challenge.
>> The Challenge is open to Amateurs in the lower 48 States who enter 
>> the 2021
>> CQ WPX SSB and/or CW contests in the single-op category but do NOT use
>> spotting assistance.  Even though CQ WPX no longer recognizes separate
>> unassisted categories, we feel the need to continue having such
>> categories.
>>
>> To enter, email your Cabrillo log (as submitted to CQ WPX) to
>> unassistedchallenge at gmail.com.  Please indicate from which CQ Zone you
>> operated in the text of the message.  We also encourage you to post your
>> score to www.3830scores.com<http://www.3830scores.com> and select the 
>> unassisted overlay.
>>
>> High Power and Low Power winners in CQ Zones 3, 4, and 5 will receive a
>> plaque (six plaques available in each event).  We encourage operators
>> throughout the world to participate as single-op unassisted also, but
>> plaques are only available for the lower 48.
>>
>> Full details and rules coming soon!  Send any questions to
>> unassistedchallenge at gmail.com.  Please forward to your friends and 
>> clubs!
>>
>> Axel KI6RRN
>> Dan N6MJ
>>
>> Note: the Unassisted Challenge is not affiliated with CQ or CQ WPX.
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