[CQ-Contest] The 2021 Unassisted Challenge

[Tom Hellem]

Well said, Jeff. I think it's a safe bet that the majority of the serious
contesting
community would agree.

Tom
K0SN

On Sat, Mar 13, 2021 at 9:43 AM Jeff Clarke <ku8e at ku8e.com> wrote:

> 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.
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> CQ-Contest mailing list
> >> CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> >> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
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> >> CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> >> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
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