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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