[RTTY] RTTY RU Band Changes

[WS7I]

---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: <Rowland.Archer at gxs.com>
Date:  Fri, 5 Dec 2008 10:48:17 -0500

 Thought I'd check here to see if I am misinterpreting something.  My understanding is:
>
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>a)      Using the cluster puts you in the Multi operator category (as it did for me last year).
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>b)      Since you are limited to six band changes per hour, if I used my second radio on a different band, as I normally would do, I would be limited to three second radio QSO's per hour, a max of 3 x 24 = 72 second radio QSO's in the contest - but actually the number would be less as there would be band changes on the "first" radio as well.
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>Am I missing something here?

Nope you are totally correct.

>The other rule that seems odd to me is requiring the off time to be in no more than two chunks.  I.e. 4 hours of sleep, 1 hour for breakfast and 1 hour for lunch is not allowed.  Wondering why ARRL SS lets you take 30 minute breaks but ARRL RU limits you to 2 breaks that add to 6 hours.   I know, "the rule is the rule," but I figure someone had something in mind when they wrote that rule and I'd like to understand it!

http://www.arrl.org/members-only/contests/results/2002/rtty/k7ira.html

This is a members only link.  But I will quote the reasoning behind the rule. Hal Blegen, K7IRA ex-WA7EGA wrote,  "Of all the low-down things, the three-hour minimum rest period was lower than the lipstick on Clinton's boxers. A few whiners who keep making bad choices, blowing two-hours for a multiplier bonanza that turns out to be a couple of JA's and a VK, really don't like this rule. The six-hour rest is there to so the guys with gray hair can trade their years experience for some sleep and still have a chance to balance the scorecard. If you like pain then by all means, stay up and second guess yourself. The top scorers usually plan their rest periods and exercise the discipline to stick with that plan, although I admit that trying to forecast the optimum time to start day two is a little like guessing the winning lottery number."

Only problem is that the six hour mandated time off became two periods, tho 99% take it in a single six hour block as it was intended which is two-three hour periods back-to-back and legal.

The RTTY Roundup is primarily a contest designed for strategy. It rewards good decisions as too time, bands, and operators.
Frankly the 6 band changes were to keep Hal WA7EGA and I from winning M/S and force us to move to Single Operator.

As to Clusters and SO2R.  If you are running two or three radios and there are no band multipliers there is little reason to ever need a packet spot.

Jay