[RTTY] SO2R (again)

[Barry]

Comments interspersed below...

On 25 Jan 2003 Carter Grabarczyk wrote:
> 
> Barry wrote:
> >> 
> > Getting back to radio:
> > It was a lot of effort on my part, requiring several years of
> > building and fine tuning, to become competitive in the single op
> > category. It took lots of time and effort (and some money, too) to
> > build my station the way I did. That was my choice, and SO1R was your
> > choice, for whatever reasons. If you want to be competitive in
> > today's age, you have the option of building an SO2R station. But you
> > don't want to do that. You want to change the rules to stifle
> > progress and competition.
> > 
> Barry,
> 
> Respectfully, to your statement above, I say "Bunk"...
> 
> Does having a high power/low power or single op/ multi op category
> "stifle progress and competition"? I think not (or at least I haven't
> seen any long, on-going debate about those issues). 
> 
In my mind, and that of the contest organizers, there are significant 
differences. Single op is single op - one person. Multiop is not 
single op - more than one person.
High power vs. low power - maybe there shouldn't be separate 
categories. Hasn't AA5AU/LP beat most of the high power scores in 
most contests he enters? I've done some LP the last few years. The 
top HP guys had about 2000 QSOs, about 10% more than I had running 
LP. Not that big a difference, is it?

> No one is saying not to use SO2R. No one is saying its not a
> technological/operational/financial tour de force. No one is saying
> don't put in the time and money and space for two stations and two
> antennas. Please, do it by all means. However, just have its own
> category, as is done for power and number of ops.
> 

You want you own category, fine. Let's leave Single-op as is, and 
have another category called single-op-wannabeawinner. Everyone in 
this category gets a certificate saying they won first place. Tah's 
what you want, isn't it?

> I really don't understand this loooong on-going thread. The SO2R boys
> get real defensive and think others don't want them to do it at all.
> However, all the SO1R boys are saying is, by all means do it, but have
> your own category. That does not seem unreasonable.
> 

Yes, it does, for reasons already stated. 

> Can someone please explain to me why we can't have an SO2R class??? I'm
> sorry, but it just seems such an obvious solution...
> 
> 73/Carter/K8VT
> 
> P.S.
> Per your statement above, you say people "have the option of building an
> SO2R station". Many people may NOT have that option. Finances and space
> for more antennas are just two reasons of many that come to mind. 
> 

True, not everyone has the space. When I moved to my present QTH, 13 
years ago, the fact that I wanted some space for antennas was a 
factor in deciding where to live. I say SOME space because ALL my 
antennas are on one 75 ft tower. The first 21 years of my ham career 
took place at QTHs where all I had were wires, never higher than 25-
30 ft, some outside, some in the attic. 
Finances? Not as much as you might think. My second radio is a used 
FT-990. It cost about $800. I'm sure a usable radio could be had for 
half that. Throw up a multi-band dipole for $25 in wire and coax and 
you're off to the races. You can always upgrade/improve later.


> P.P.S.
> To quote you again, "It was a lot of effort on my part, requiring
> several years of
>  building and fine tuning, to become competitive in the single op [2
> radio?]
>  category. It took lots of time and effort (and some money, too) to
>  build my station the way I did."
> 
> Exactly the point! If it was NOT an advantage (like high power), why
> would you go through all the trouble outlined above? (And again, no one
> is saying don't have the advantage, just have a category for it).

I never said it wasn't an advantage. Of course it is. So is computer 
logging vs. paper logs. So is Sound card (or HAL or "TNC") RTTY vs. a 
Model 16. So is a tribander vs. a dipole. So is having an east coast 
QTH in CQWW, and a south or west coast QTH in Roundup. Let's make 
categories for each of them, too.

'nuff said.
73,
Barry--
Barry Kutner, W2UP              Internet: w2up at mindspring.com
Newtown, PA                     Frankford Radio Club