[RTTY] Telnet/Packet and the RTTY RU

Fri Dec 16 13:07:27 EST 2005

Oh, don't get me wrong, Dennis. I think the rules for multi-ops in the 
Roundup are perfectly *fair*, that's not the issue. The point for me is 
that they result in a contest that can be *boring* for multi-ops.

Consider this scenario: two of you drive to a distant contest station 
location at the height of winter, and when you get there you each only get 
12 hours of operation out of 30 (even less if there are three or more of 
you). There is almost nothing for you to do the rest of the time; there 
isn't even a realistic possibility of a multiplier radio. About the most 
you can do is tune across a second band with a receiver and load up the 
bandmap with unworked running stations, which seems to be a part-time and 
not particularly fulfilling occupation for an experienced operator. Even 
the excitement of finding a juicy new multiplier for the main operator is 
greatly reduced both by the multiplier rules and by the band-change rule. 
As compared with the excitement of a multi-two or multi-multi, or of a 
full-time single-op (whether SO1R or SO2R), this seems pretty tame.

If one of you has some other work to do around the station for the weekend, 
you would probably have more fun letting one operator do a full-out 
single-op while the other one did repair and maintenance work (further 
south I would say antenna work, too, but not here in Ontario in January!)

Understand also, I am not complaining, and I don't particularly want a 
change. For me, this contest is one of the most attractive on the calendar 
as a single-op, but it is just not very interesting to me as a multi-op 
opportunity, as compared with, say, the WPX RTTY a month later.

No problem, there are still several interesting ways to view this contest - 
as a very good single-op contest, as an opportunity to give new operators a 
chance to try RTTY, or just as a shakedown opportunity for new hardware and 
software (possibly in the checklog category, which is one way to get around 
the single-transmitter and band-change limitations). No rule change necessary.

My real point would be that before *any* contest, you need to read the 
rules - all of the rules - carefully, analyze the rules in order to 
determine what operating category, style and strategy are best suited to 
the contest, and make your plans accordingly. In the case of the Roundup, 
if a group of a few RTTY operators is looking for a chance for an all-out 
multi-operator entry (an RTTY equivalent of the ARRL International DX 
contests), this just plain isn't it. So be it, and vive la difference!

73,
Rich VE3IAY

At 10:46 AM 16/12/2005, morris_karen at bellsouth.net wrote:

>I can understand the comments concerning the band change rules for
>multi-singles.  It does prevent the multi from "ping-ponging" on 2 or
>more bands.  And I agree that an SO2R can beat the multi scores.
>HOWEVER - ALL multis are subject to the SAME RULES - thus, the
>competition is fair.  And whether the single ops score higher than the
>multi-ops is apples to oranges.  The multis are trying to beat each
>other.
>
>73,
>Dennis
>K4ZJ
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: rtty-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:rtty-bounces at contesting.com]
>On Behalf Of Andrei Nevis
>Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2005 11:15 AM
>To: Richard Ferch; rtty at contesting.com
>Subject: Re: [RTTY] Telnet/Packet and the RTTY RU
>
>
>This is all correct, EXCEPT THIS:
>   3.2.2. Stations are allowed only one transmitted signal at any given
>time.. (This is only for Multy Stations.)
>   Subparagraph 3.2.2 applies to this:
>     3.2. Multioperator, Single Transmitter:
>   So, Single Operators do not have this restrictions, in other words
>Single operator can transmit ANY amount of the signals "at any given
>time.."
>   woow
>   73's Andrei EW1AR-NC2N
>
>
>Richard Ferch <ve3iay at rac.ca> wrote:
>   Under the present rules, regardless of whether you agree with them or
>not,
>there are only two categories:
>
>1. Single operator - only one person, NO relief operators, NO helpers in
>
>the shack, NO helpers via the cluster, NO helpers anywhere. No
>restrictions
>on equipment (one, two or three radios) or band changes, but only one
>transmitted signal at any time. The multiplier rules limit the advantage
>
>that can be obtained from a second radio (no per-band multipliers).
>
>2. Multi-operator, one transmitter - basically the same as single
>operator
>except that you are allowed any number of helpers, inside the shack or
>around the world using the cluster. In order to prevent cheating by
>multi-ops with octopus hardware masquerading as single-ops, the contest
>organizers have imposed a band-change limit on this category.
>
>There is no assisted category (which would permit helpers outside the
>shack, but no helpers inside the shack). Because of the multiplier
>rules,
>packet assistance would not be all that helpful anyway. There is no
>multi-transmitter category (more than one transmitter at the same time).
>
>The band change rule hobbles multi-singles (including assisted
>operators)
>so severely that they cannot compete with single-ops. So basically the
>Roundup is a contest for unassisted single ops, with the multi-one
>category
>thrown in almost as an afterthought.
>
>Those are the rules. Complaining here is unlikely to have any effect. If
>
>you want to operate in some other fashion that doesn't fit the rules,
>your
>log will only be a checklog and you will not be eligible for an award
>from
>the contest sponsors. If you don't like the rules, you can petition the
>contest committee for a change, or you can just wait for a contest whose
>
>rules are more congenial to your particular interests. There are plenty
>-
>AA5AU's contest calendar lists 27 each year, and it's missing the fall
>NCJ
>Sprint, so there are at least 28 - that's more often than one every
>other
>weekend. Some of these are local/regional, some are worldwide; some are
>aimed only at single-ops, some offer several different categories for
>multi-ops; some do not permit packet assistance, some do; some are low
>power only, some permit high power. Take your pick and live with it.
>
>73,
>Rich VE3IAY
>
>
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