MO2R

"A Sweepstakes Perspective"

by

KG5VK

SO2R with Multi-OPS

We are more passionate about Sweepstakes than any other contest, our first contest experiences were with high school buddies operating ARRL SS CW in 1972

Today we are a bit more "agressive" while ever more passionate about the comraderie of the sport...

Marcel N5VU and Marsh KA5M at the helmduring a Sweepstakes phone contest at KG5VK

A Comparison SO2R versus MO2R

SO2R

• Single OP Two Radio • Single Radio Two VFO's• Single Radio add Skimmer *

* use may force to multi-op entry, or at least assisted

MO2R • Same as SO2R• Add More OPS

MO2R is simply more OPS with a SO2R designed station...

SO1R at K8KI

Good MO2R begins with SO2R

•  SO2R design can get complex, fast •  Always remember KISS

 •  SO2R design resources....

 – Managing Interstation interference (Coaxial Stubs and

Filters) by W2VJN– Building a Super Station by K1TTT– Contesting with Two Radios by Rus Healy K2UA ("A How

To") in operating stand point with some hints on building SO2R

– The CQ Contest Reflector (email reflector)

The best KISS is a single radio...

• True the best way to keep things simple is one radio • Add an auto band switching Amplifier

 • Add an automated antenna switch

 • Automate as much as you can.....

 in fact if you automate everything interfacing the station with ops that have never been there is easy, but most of us can't afford to automate everything in a 2 radio station and herein is one of the biggest challenges of those building a MO2R station.... 

Single Radio in Style at KA5M

A French KISS...automation to a point and all else is kept simple

• simply automate as much of the station as you can, but... • where you can't automate make sure it forces the ops to

think logically as if they were at their own station or in front of one radio and an amplifier......

 Example in my station my amps are not auto band auto tune,so I elected to make antenna switching Manual, my logic is we as Hams have been conditioned to always change the band switch on the amp when we change the antenna to a different band.Smart station owners will add an automated amp cutoff switch if high SWR is detected !

This was a bit ugly in that we had two different rigs,          IC-756 Pro II and FT-1000MP

May 2009 Two FT-1000MP's

A Learning Curve

keep the second radio in the background....

• Our Goal is High QSO rates• We don't want to distract anyone from a good run of QSO's

 The first 9 hours of SS is based almost solely on Q rate Competitive stations need close to 1500 Q's in 24 hours in our ARRL Delta Division That's over 60 Q's per Hour  Sunday provides us less ops to work because many casual ops go to church or watch football instead of working us during the contest, so we need 90 to 120 Q an hour rates on Saturday !These kind of rates are not made by an op that is distracted by a second radio or anything else, maybe that TV should go away?

As the rate declines....the last nine hours of SS can be like pulling teeth !!!

• use the voice keyer on one radio to CQ contest• use the second radio to work search and pounce

keep the Q rate as high as you can, have a goallike 60 Q per hour  (60 times 9 hours gives us 540 QSO's)plus the 1000 Q's from the first 15 hours = 1540 Q's We made the Sweep, then will make the Division box,provided The Tennesse contest group or some of the new LCC blood did not kick butt !!!

if we don't make the box we know our team had the most fun !

more station automation strategy....

• automate things that ops never need to see and give choice where choice matters...(make the choice obvious not hidden)

 – Band Pass filters configure to follow the band that the rig is

on (it's one less thing for the OP to worry about) (In fact hiding the ICE band pass filter boxes is a good idea)*

– Automate but give the op a choice....  in my station we have 5 antenna choices for 75 meters, when you move to 75/80mOne of those choices is already selected, however you may switch to any of the other four from One control box that is mounted next to the antenna Band selection switch for the station (this keeps the choice visually clear)

Left radio is on 20m Antenna, Right is now on 80m

we strive to keep the buttons and switches to a minimum...it might seem like a no brainer to add one sw for something like moving the rcv ant system from one radio to anotherbut we struggle with the addition of one more switch that may add to the seemingly complex array that already exist

when you build it you understand where all the buttons are and what they are for

guest may struggle to understand what you consider simple, after all they did not build it !

you want them to be able to operate with out being over tasked 

Efficient use of the second radio....

• efficient use of the second radio in MO2R is from those that have SO2R experience

 • even a small increase of rate is beneficial on Sunday

provided good rates were attained on Saturday

another choice...... Tag Team

a second op at the second radio...........

However the rules are clear only one Transmit signal at any given time

So you must use lock out switches that prevent an op from transmitting on the second radio while the first op is giving an exchange

Two ops that work together side by side can master this fairly quick, we are still working on pairing ops together for this

there are basicly two methods for Tag Teaming.......

Second op looks for multipliers on the second rig..The second op in the Tag Team finds stations not yet workedenters the data in the second radio screen or jots a note to place in front of the Run Radio operator

Run op see's the action taken by the Tag Team OP (2nd man)and works that station on the second rig 

Or

The Tag Team member has his own Mic and makes the qsowhile the primary or run op takes a swig of cola or just catches their breath from running Q's

Is it a good idea...Single Radio.....

• Distractions are limited

• Everyone is accustomed to it

• It is the definition of KISS

MO2R.....

• greater flexibility...

• monitor a second band for openings

• possibility of higher Q's

• Help fight Boredom Sunday

For us the chance to add more Q's is worth the added efforteven if only a few ops use the second radioWe must work to educate guest OPS about MO2R with hopes they build their own SO2R station and become proficient at 2R operation.

other things Multi-Ops can do....- not all Teams need two Radios

Team members could be assigned other taskNot related to operating

wow, you gotta be kidding !

...yeap if I go to K1TTT to operate I would not want to be the Coffee gopher

but there are folks happy to be assistants of the teamand they are much more than assitants

other jobs....

• "Band/Multiplier Scout"

• "A Station Coach"

• "Station Technician"

giving credit...

• First to God for without him we would not be

• My wife and family 

• Friends this would be a very dull hobby without them Friendship is what makes me choose multi-op 

• Tom Blackley KR5D for the kick in the butt to apply for my first DXCC certificate, I am working on my third (40m CW)

• My Elmer WB0CXN for not him I would be just a Bass Fisherman

• All others in our community of Amateur Radio that share. It is what makes this hobby so great, the comraderie rocks !

without my wife I would not be where I am....

Those of us that are passionate about our hobbies,  must often be reminded about prioritiesI am but one of those soles that does things in Extreme

As contesters many of us are a bit extreme and may needa gentle reminderto thank our spouse

So I share this....

Early in November 2006...I was preparing to Cancel MO2R at KG5VK...Great news my wife gets to come home from the hospital today.I just talked to her and told her I was finishing a post to the contest team ops...

She said your not cancelling the contest are you, I said I was considering doing just that and she said absolutely not, I do not want you to cancel playing in SS with the guys at our home

Is my wife awesome or what !!!

SteveKG5VK

Tri-Bander and a Pair of Mono's

The East Reservation (Antenna Farm)

See you in November for ARRL SS !!!