Reading the S02R debate over the past week or so. Seems the following points
have
emerged. SO2R, like those technological advancements before it, has NOW
become..
1) It's now FULLY in the mainstream of tools available to anyone and many
people use it
or have experience with it. (The visibility level is now above the noise and
more know
about it)
2) It has matured to the point where the focus is on improving operating skills
and fine
tuning the technology (rigs, switching, audio distribution, antenna placement,
etc)
rahter than just 'getting it installed and operating'
3) The techonology and equipment have progressed to the point where integration
and
operations are such that anyone who chooses to use it can do so - and the level
of
technical proficiency to install and operate a basic SO2R system is about that
required
to install and operate a normal SO contest station.
4) 'Buy it, install it, and use it' systems are avaialble. True, they may
require some
application of effort to interconnect, but then need to build the boxes to do
SO3R is
gone. Prices are reasonable (for contester's anyway HI) so anyone with interest
and
money can do SO2R.
5) A critical mass of resources familiar with the operating techniques,
technology use,
and how to get the benefits from SO2R now exist.
What this means is NOW SO2R is at the point where many people are proficient
enough and
the technology integrated sufficiently that scores HAVE been and ARE obviously
higher
for a larger mass of people. This raises the level of attention that it
receives. When
it was just a 'few technical folks' doing it.. it was an oddity...
curiousity...the
'WOW' factor existed. We liked hearing about it but it never raised anyones
collective
hackles because it was only for those who were above the level of the average
contester
anyway due to resources required in terms of time, money, and hardware required
to
implement it.
NOW that it's within those 5 categories it has an APPARENT visible effect on
scores to
the point where SO2R is PERCEIVED as being an unfair advantage and worthy of
it's own
category. That is becuase it is now more widely known and disucssed so it
APPEARS to be
effecting things. Again, perception.
HOWEVER! As Ron POints out.. There is NOT a body of quantifiable, supportable,
legitimate evidence that can allow you to make ANY rational determination that
SO2R
DOES, in fact, provide an UNFAIR (Note.. it must be UNFAIR) edge. UNTIL this is
done and
honestly analyzed you'll only be dealing with anecdotal 'war stories' which are
nice to
share but invalid for honest analysis and eventual inclusion for rules changes.
Nothing
wrong with having an 'edge' WE ALL have our own personal 'edges' that we use
(Used to be
called 'tricks of the trade', now they are known as 'proprietary information'
HI) It's
not UNFAIR.. it's just the way things are. Unfair is claiming to be SO
unassisted and
using packet spotting and NOT entering as SOA. Unfair is running 500W and
entering as
LP.We have LOTS of anecdotal evidence, stories, etc. But very very little real
data to
work with.
SO2R provides an 'edge', true. Is it UNFAIR? No one knows. (At least I've not
seen
anyone post any quantifiable, hard data to support PRO or CON. Just as in
speed
skating, those folks who wore the full body spandex suits had an 'edge' over
those who
didn't because they cut down wind resistance, but it was not UNFAIR. Anyone
could do it
andnow it is expected that ALL will skate with it. Data was accumulated which
verified
thatit was an advantage. But they didn't make a seaprate category for it.
People chose
to adapt to the new technology and use it, or not, as they saw fit.
The bottom line in my opinoin is that SO2R is just one of the 'tricks of the
trade' that
folks use. Some are good at it, some are EXCELLENT at it, some are not. Some
will use
it, some won't. Until a body of evidence exsists for analysis to arrive at a
valid
deduction.. all the rest is, as Ron puts it, personal agenda and/or conjecture.
Me? I'll wait for the evidence. If it becomes known that it is worthy of it's
own
category then have it, if not.. then it's just another tool in the toolbox for
people to
choose to use.
73
Chuck K3FT
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