[RTTY] 10 Minute Rule

[Don Hill AA5AU]

The 10 minute rule really has nothing to do with SO2R.  But
it's always nice to have a good SO2R discussion before Dayton!

I believe Jay's point is moot here.  As I said "I got stuck"
is true.  However, when I was "stuck" on 10, I was mapping a
slew of stations on 15 to work, one right after another, without
having to go hunt for them anew after my 10 minutes was up on 10M.
Sure, I was impacted but so were single radio ops.

Thus, I still had that advantage over single radio operators.  So
it did nothing but make me sit there and make no contacts for 9 minutes.
It would not have mattered if I was two radio or not.  The guy with
the single radio would have been "stuck" too. So when I went to 15M
afterwards, I had stations lined up to work like ducks sitting in a pond.
The only difference was that I didn't have to reload after 3 shots.  The
single radio operator did not have that advantage.

Jay's other point about Multi-Single vs. Multi-Multi is also
without reasoning.  Many Multi-Single stations incorporate a second
radio to hunt multipliers or map a 2nd band just the same as SO2R
stations.  Will we need to reclassify Multi-Single stations that
use a 2nd radio?  I don't think so.

Associating a ten-minute rule with limiting SO2R operation and
evening the playing field is absurd.  Again, there is no PLAUSIBLE
reasoning behind a ten-minute rule for single ops.

On the subject of having a separate class for SO2R, well I am
for it if everyone else is.  However, single radio ops are going to
be pinned down with either a band limit or time limit rule that
they are not going to be happy with.  It's happened in BARTG already.

I believe the best solution is to have an Unlimited Single Op
class and allow SO2R ops to have as many transmit signals at
the same time as they want.  Now that sounds like fun.  The more
signals the better!

I think the bigger question is  "Are there any single operators
out there that favor the 10-minute rule for single ops?".  If so, what
is your reasoning?  The 10-minute rule has nothing to do with
SO1R vs. SO2R.  It's just plain stupid.

Some may point to last year's WAE RTTY results and say that
K4GMH beat me because of the 10 minute rule.  I believe Mike
himself told me that.  However, I do not believe that for one
minute.  Last year in WAE, there was an exception to the
10-minute rule that allowed for working new multipliers on another
band.   I took advantage of that exception.

The reasons Mike beat me are that he is just as good or better of an operator
than me and, more importantly, he had a geographical advantage.  By being
on the east coast he was able to kill me on 40 & 80 meters.  He worked
stuff I never heard and it resulted in an astounding 59 more multipliers for
him on those bands.  I knew I had this disadvantage and tried to counter
by making more QTC's than him (which I did by 200) but it was not enough
to overcome his 40 & 80 meter advantage.

The 10-minute rule did not help him in WAE.  His location and operating
skill was what gave him the win.  This year will be a good test.  With no
10-minute rule in WAE and no apparent restrictions on QTC traffic, it'll
be interesting to see what happens.  I'm willing to bet, especially if condx
are not good and we both give all-out efforts, that he will still beat me.

But things will be much different this year.  I'll have an amp on the 2nd radio
and will be able to pass QTC's on either radio (last year the rules would
not allow passing QTC traffic while making "multiplier exception" QSO's
on another band within the 10-minute window).

Then again, Mike could run SO2R, and that point will be moot!

Look at these ARI Digital scores.  They are very low all the way around.
It could be a very fun contest with all the Italian multipliers.  It amazes
me that the EA and SP contests can pull in more participants.  I made 251
Q's in 12 hours.  That's a little more than 20 Q's an hour.  That's pitiful participation.

Man, are we having fun yet?

Don, AA5AU




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jay Townsend, WS7I" <ws7i@arrl.net>
To: <rtty@contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, May 06, 2002 12:40 PM
Subject: [RTTY] 10 Minute Rule


> At 11:50 AM 5/6/02 -0500, Don Hill AA5AU wrote:
> 
> >There is no plausible reasoning behind a 10-minute rule for single ops.
> >It does not even the playing field.  It does not hinder SO2R ops.
> 
> >But I would find a mult on 10 and work him, then get stuck for the rest
> >of the 10 minutes CQ'ing >with no takers. 
> 
> I beg to differ. The 10 minute rule in the exact case you stated above does
> impact the
> SOMultiRadio operator.  As you state..."I got stuck". Of course you were
> hindered.
> 
> Can't say that I am in favor of 10-minute rule either, but I am in favor of
> seperate classes for differing number of transmitters. If Multi-single is
> different from Multi-Multi then so to is SO1R different from S0MR.
> 
> As you most likely remember the original RTTY Journal WW/CQ allowed M/S
> with no 10 minute rule, it was added to take away the octupus.  One wonders
> why what is good for M/S isn't good for Single Operator stations ?
> 
> So to your idea of emailing sponser's about the 10 minute rule I would add,
> its time to create a seperate class for SOMultiRadio.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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