When I recently heard that the CQ Contest Committee would not consider Single Operator One Radio (SO1R) as a separate category, I was very disappointed and asked myself why do I have to compete in the same category where a vast majority of contesters are using two radio's.
I just do not think that it is fair and instead of promoting new contesters to the hobby, the committee is actually scaring away guys. I feel that most SO1R contesters in the world have the same opinion as mine. There could be various reasons. Financial could be one of them where contesters around the world barely have enough money to buy one radio let alone two. Most hf radio's are in the us $900 range and that is on the low end. It's going to take a ham close to us $2500 just to put together one station. Most of the hams in the countries that I have traveled to do not even have barely the us $900 to buy the radio. Their money is used for the family which they have to feed and keep alive.
It's so easy for us to sit here in the states and make decisions based purely on (preventing contester's from cheating using two radio's when they will claim that they used one radio). It appears that technology is moving right along but the software that the committee is using to check for cheater's is primitive at best.
One way for the committee to circumnavigate the software to check for cheaters is to change rules, add rules and delete rules by which we play. Delete categories, add categories but overlook the basic entry categories to keep right along with technology. I believe that an (SO1R) category should have been added years ago when the (SO2R) contesters began to pick up steam with more and more contesters adding a second radio.
In my situation, I cannot carry two complete stations to activate a fairly rare mult. The airline luggage restrictions have clamped down so hard that I can barely take one complete legal limit station now without paying high excess luggage prices.
I have always operated with just one radio and love the challenge to crack the top 10 with the big boys that are all mostly using two radio's. Not only that but I make all of my qso's with a vertical. (Now that's an unlevel playing field in my opinion). Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining about having the same hardware up. I actually love looking at those stations as I have always wished I could have one like that but I am at the other end of the spectrum where my bags are always packed with my K2 and Butternut vertical, ready to travel. I have always been that way.
Why doesn't the committee try adding (SO1R) for just one CQWWSSB test and one CQWWCW test and then make a decision as to why we should keep it take it away. I think you will be surprised at the number of guys that operate with just one radio. You will probably see an interesting fact that more small country mult's will be showing up on the bands because they now have an opportunity to win a SO1R award.
It will be such a thrill to crack the top 10 list and have a (SO1R) behind my call; where everyone else has an SO2R behind there's. Now that is cool!
I mean, I would like to have some wallpaper too!
I am asking to please consider and try a SO1R category in the next CQWW contest's so that the facts could be looked at whether to keep it or not.
Thanks for listening to this one opinion and I look forward to the decision so that I can plan yet another trip this coming October and November with my one radio.
Regards,
Craig Maxey, AH8DX & 8R1EA
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