[RTTY] RTTY RU Band Changes

[Dean Wood]

Hi,

The RTTY Roundup is one of my favorite contests of the year.  I think
that most of the RTTY RU rules and scoring are brilliant, but I agree
with Rowland: I don't like the RTTY RU off-time rule.

I read K7IRA's explanation about why the 2 max off-time rule exists,
and I must say that I am unconvinced.  Essentially K7IRA is saying
that the rationale for this rule is to attempt to level the playing
field because some folks want to sleep in a long segment of time,
therefore everyone else in the contest should have to be bound by that
same restriction or else they might get an advantage.

There are several problems with that justification.  WS7I mentioned
that RTTY RU is a contest designed for strategy.  However, the 2 max
off-time rule actually removes a lot of options available to the
operator, significantly diminishing the element of strategy that
off-time duration and selection plays in most other contests.  Also,
there's a phrase quoted from K7IRA: "The top scorers usually plan
their rest periods and exercise the discipline to stick with that
plan..."  I disagree.  Yes, successful operators have an operating and
off-time plan prior to the contest, but the top operators modify that
plan during the contest if needed, according to contest conditions,
activity, rate at any given time, missing multipliers, and other
factors (eg: rain static).  Or prior to the contest, an operator
examining a rate sheet and mult list from the 2008 RTTY RU, and
finding that a proposed plan involving 3 or 4 off-time periods, would
be unable to implement it in the 2009 running.  It is not whining as
K7IRA crassly postulates.  Giving the operator more control over his
off-time simply makes good sense.  Lastly, I'm not sure which "guys
with gray hair" that K7IRA refers to, but they don't represent the OTs
that I know!  Some can run circles around me in terms of requiring
little sleep in a contest.  Some *cannot* sleep anywhere close to 6
hours straight.

Perhaps for the 2010 running of RTTY RU, we can look at shedding this
peculiar 2 max off-time rule, allowing ops to take unlimited off-time
segments between 30 minutes to 6 hours in duration.

73...
-Dean - N6DE


On Fri, Dec 5, 2008 at 12:46 PM,  <Rowland.Archer at gxs.com> wrote:
> Jay,
>
> Thanks for taking the time to respond and the link to a great article -- "it is all clear to me now!"  Not that I like it ;-), but at least it is clear!
>
> FWIW (not much I know), I'd like to see the off-time rule same as SS, and the addition of an assisted category that allowed SO2R with cluster.
>
> And I'd like two K3's for Christmas!
>
> 73,
> Rowland K4XD
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: WS7I [mailto:ws7i at ewarg.org]
> Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 2:38 PM
> To: rtty at contesting.com; Archer, Rowland (GXS)
> Subject: Re: [RTTY] RTTY RU Band Changes
>
> ---------- 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:
>>
>>
>>a)      Using the cluster puts you in the Multi operator category (as it did for me last year).
>>
>>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.
>>
>>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
>
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