It pays to read ALL the contest rules before starting out ...
 

I thought I'd give the 10M contest a try this year, single op, low
power, CW only.

I did a quick look a the rules
(http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2009/10-meters.html), got as far as

3.1.2. Low Power.
3.1.2.1. Mixed Mode (Phone and CW).
3.1.2.2. Phone only.
3.1.2.3. CW only.

and was on my way.

Didn't see anything about "assisted", so without really thinking about
it, I left "Band Master" (a GUI DX cluster front end) running when I
started the contest.

During one of the many lulls in the contest, I read the rest of the
rules and found

3.2. Multioperator, Single Transmitter, mixed mode (only).
3.2.1. Includes single operators using packet or spotting assistance.

So, I was suddenly stuck in the Multi-op, mixed mode category.

Oh well. That's a mistake I won't make again.

Besides, the DX cluster info wasn't any sort of an "assist" for me. It
was more in the line of mocking me with all the stations I couldn't even
hear :-(


--
Bert Hyman W0RSB St. Paul, MN

It pays to read ALL the contest rules before starting out ...
 

Bert Hyman wrote:
I thought I'd give the 10M contest a try this year, single op, low
power, CW only.

I did a quick look a the rules
(http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2009/10-meters.html), got as far as

3.1.2. Low Power.
3.1.2.1. Mixed Mode (Phone and CW).
3.1.2.2. Phone only.
3.1.2.3. CW only.

and was on my way.

Didn't see anything about "assisted", so without really thinking about
it, I left "Band Master" (a GUI DX cluster front end) running when I
started the contest.

During one of the many lulls in the contest, I read the rest of the
rules and found

3.2. Multioperator, Single Transmitter, mixed mode (only).
3.2.1. Includes single operators using packet or spotting assistance.

So, I was suddenly stuck in the Multi-op, mixed mode category.

Oh well. That's a mistake I won't make again.

Ouch!

In ARRL and CQ contests you can reasonably assume a single-operator category does NOT allow for use of the Cluster. Many contests have a separate
"assisted" category -- looks like the 10M Test isn't one of them, in which case use of cluster indeed makes you a multiop entry...

Besides, the DX cluster info wasn't any sort of an "assist" for me. It
was more in the line of mocking me with all the stations I couldn't even
hear :-(

(grin)!

Saturday was pretty bad here in Tennessee. Got a LOT of reading done while calling CQ into nothingness. We did get a decent opening to W1/W2 around
10:30 CT but most folks up there had already given up & gone to bed.

It was a LOT better today. Still difficult in the morning, but around noon some South Americans started showing up (and ZM4B) and soon after,
sporadic-E popped open from here to New Mexico and Arizona. With about 90 minutes to go in the test, it also popped to Minnesota and W1/W2. Best
hour of the contest was the last hour...

I worked 42 states. Missed seven states in 7-land (WA/OR/MT/ID/NV/UT/AK). And Indiana. (?!) 349 QSOs for roughly 75,000 points, CW only, high power.

I find it interesting to look at DX Summit **after the contest** and see who spotted me...

--

Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View, TN EM66

It pays to read ALL the contest rules before starting out ...
 

In m
wrote:

Bert Hyman wrote:

...
Didn't see anything about "assisted", so without really thinking
about it, I left "Band Master" (a GUI DX cluster front end) running
when I started the contest.

During one of the many lulls in the contest, I read the rest of the
rules and found

3.2. Multioperator, Single Transmitter, mixed mode (only).
3.2.1. Includes single operators using packet or spotting
assistance.

So, I was suddenly stuck in the Multi-op, mixed mode category.

Oh well. That's a mistake I won't make again.

Ouch!

In ARRL and CQ contests you can reasonably assume a single-operator
category does NOT allow for use of the Cluster. Many contests have a
separate "assisted" category -- looks like the 10M Test isn't one of
them, in which case use of cluster indeed makes you a multiop entry...

...

I dropped a line to the contest folks at ARRL, suggesting that they move
the bit about single-op becoming multi-op if assisted up into the
single-op section, or even moving it above the single-op section.

I didn't really expect to find info about single-op down in the multi-op
rules.

As far as the contest went, my experience was much like yours (although
my contact count was much lower). Toward the end of the last hour, I
wanted to pull a stunt like some legislatures use and throw a towel over
the clock so I could keep going after midnight GMT :-)

--
Bert Hyman W0RSB St. Paul, MN