my current setup is an ic-7300 as the main rig and i have an older ft-950 sitting on the shelf doing nothing. the antenna situation is two separate dipoles on different bands so at least that part seems workable. what i dont really get is how people manage the intermod between the two radios when theyre both transmitting. like do you just accept some noise or is there actual filtering hardware you need to buy before this is even viable.

also genuinely curious whether the rate improvement is real or whether its one of those things that sounds better in theory. ive seen claimed rates of 200+ per hour from the big SO2R guys and i cant tell if thats because of SO2R specifically or just because theyre better operators running better stations in better locations.

my current setup is an IC-7610 which obviously has the dual receiver built in so i already do some S&P on the sub while running on the main, but actual SO2R with two radios and all the band switching and audio management seems like a completely different animal. ive talked to a couple guys at the club who do it and they say the learning curve is pretty brutal and it actually tanks your rate initially before it gets better

anybody gone through this transition and have thoughts on whether the juice is worth the squeeze for someone doing maybe 10-15 contests a year but not trying to win any plaques or anything, just trying to improve

my current setup is a K3 and an Alpha 91b and i do alright with that but adding a second radio and figuring out all the antenna switching and interstation interference stuff feels like a project that could eat a whole winter. my station isnt exactly optimized for it either, i have a pair of 40m wires and a tribander at 55ft, not exactly a SO2R dream.

the thing is i watch the claimed scores from guys at my skill level who run SO2R and the difference is real, like sometimes 30-40% more qsos. but i also wonder how much of that is just them being better operators in general, not the second radio. does anyone actually track this stuff? like did you go SO2R and see a measurable rate improvement that you could clearly attribute to the second radio vs just getting more experience over time?

also whats the minimum viable SO2R setup, like can i get most of the benefit without building a full bandpass filter farm and replacing all my feedlines with hardline or whatever

what im struggling with is the actual operating strategy — like when to commit to running a frequency vs when to S&P on radio 2. i feel like i spend too much time babysitting radio 2 and losing momentum on the run frequency. in the last CQWW SSB i had a solid run going on 20m at like 150/hr and i kept dropping down to 40m on radio 2 to grab mults and every time i came back to 20 i had to rebuild the pile. it took like 3-4 QSOs before things got moving again each time.

is there a sweet spot for how long to let the run frequency coast while you work radio 2? or is this just something you kind of develop feel for over time. ive read the K1TTT and N6TR writeups but they seem to assume a level of automation i dont have yet with my setup

my current setup is an ic-7300 and a pretty decent dipole situation, nothing fancy. i have an older ts-570 sitting on the shelf doing nothing and i keep thinking maybe i could press it into service as a second radio. the antenna switching and the audio routing seems like it would be a nightmare though, both radios would be fighting over the same dipole unless i get a second antenna up which isnt trivial at my QTH.

does anyone actually run SO2R without a full station setup and still come out ahead versus just working S&P more aggressively on one radio? like is there a breakeven point where the overhead is worth it or am i just romanticizing something that makes sense for the big guns but not for a mid-tier operator like me

my setup is two K3s, one into a stack of 4el yagis at 60ft, the other into a dipole so the antennas are at least somewhat isolated. audio is mixed with the DVK handling the CQ cycles. the issue is more operational than hardware at this point i think.

do you guys actually run SO2R hard during a good run or do you basically just babysit radio 1 until the rate drops? ive heard some guys say they only seriously use radio 2 when they drop below like 80/hr on radio 1 but that seems like leaving a lot on the table during slower periods

right now running a k3 into a pair of tribanders stacked at 45 and 75 feet, so the antenna situation isnt terrible, but adding a whole second radio setup with the keying and audio switching and all that seems like a lot of pain for maybe a few hundred extra qsos. or maybe im underselling it. does the rate difference actually show up that much if youre not already in the top 10 percent of operators skill wise? feels like my rate problems are more about operating technique than radio count

also wondering if anyone has opinions on the SO2R vs just really optimizing the single radio strategy, like aggressive S&P mixed with running, knowing when to give up a frequency and go hunt instead. i feel like theres still a lot of room there i havent exploited yet

my current setup is a K3 and an IC-7300 sitting there mostly unused, so i technically have the hardware already. i use N1MM+ for logging. has anyone here actually made the jump to SO2R from a similar starting point and was it worth it for the kind of contest where you're not trying to win the world, just improve your score and have more fun during the slow periods? or is this one of those things where it only really pays off if you're seriously competing for a plaque?

my current setup is a K3 as the main radio and i have an older FT-950 collecting dust in the corner that i could theoretically use as the second radio. the interstation interference is what scares me most — my antennas are an 80m dipole and a 40m dipole up about 40 feet, which arent exactly optimally decoupled. i know guys running stacked yagis with 60dB of isolation between bands but thats not my situation at all.

the bigger question im wrestling with is whether the rate improvement actually justifies all the complexity. like even if i get the hardware working, now im managing two VFOs, two loggers, trying to run a frequency on radio 1 while SandP-ing on radio 2, and my brain is already fried after 6 hours of single radio contesting. anyone gone through this transition and have honest thoughts on whether it was worth it or not

anyone have a system for this? i feel like the rate meter is lying to me half the time. running at 80/hr looks great until you realize 15 opened up and you missed the whole thing because you were babysitting a dying 20m run. also curious if anyone has opinions on when to just abandon a frequency and go full S&P on both radios. feels wasteful but sometimes it just makes sense.

using wintest btw if that matters, and my second radio is just a backup rig so the keying overlap stuff is still a bit janky

been reading a lot about SO2R lately and honestly im not sure if its something i should even bother with or if its just for the guys with giant contest stations and dedicated setups. my current station is an IC-7610 which technically can do some of that with the dual receivers but its not the same as two completely separate radios and antennas obviously. the interference between the two radios when both are transmitting is what i keep reading is the real pain to sort out.

my main question is really about the rate side of things — like at what point does running vs S&P actually make sense? i know the conventional wisdom is if you can hold a run frequency and get more than like 2-3 qsos per minute consistently then run, but i feel like in the middle of a contest when rates are fluctuating that math changes constantly. anyone have a practical feel for when to switch strategies mid contest?

what actually helped was just using radio 2 strictly for S&P while i was running on radio 1. find a mult, pounce on it when there's a gap in the run, then get back to running. sounds obvious but when youre actually in the chair under pressure it doesnt feel obvious at all. also had to spend some time with the SO2R interlock settings in N1MM because i kept accidentally transmitting on both which... yeah dont do that.

anyway curious if anyone has tips for when the run rate drops and you start to wonder if you should flip which radio is the run radio. i never really have a good feel for when to pull that trigger. sometimes i switch and it helps, sometimes it just costs me time and the old run freq dies while im getting established on the new one.

a buddy of mine runs SO2R and says it completely changed his contest experience, like he can keep his rate up by hunting mults on the second radio while the first one is just sitting there between contacts. makes sense in theory but im not sure my station is ready for it or if i even have the headspace to manage two radios at once during a 48 hour event. i already feel like im juggling enough just keeping the log, watching the cluster, and trying to not miss dupes.

anyone gone through this transition and was it actually worth the hassle? and whats the minimum you'd really need to do it properly without just causing a mess of intermod between the two rigs

the interference between the two rigs is what scares me off honestly. i know people use bandpass filters and stuff but i dont really understand how guys are managing to transmit on one radio while listening on the other without just blowing their ears out or desensing everything. do you need the antennas on completely separate towers to make this viable or can you get away with the shared tower setup if the bands are far enough apart?

also just the operating itself — like the mental load of keeping a run going on one radio while S&P on the other seems like it would just destroy my rate, at least at first. anyone have a realistic sense of how long it took them to get comfortable with it? i feel like i'd spend the whole contest fumbling around and end up with a worse score than if i'd just stayed single radio.

my current setup is an IC-7300 and a secondhand TS-590SG that i picked up last year for exactly this reason but havent really committed to making it work properly. i tried running both during the last CQ WW phone and nearly blew my mind trying to manage the audio feeds and keep track of which radio was which. maybe im just not wired for it or maybe i havent found the right logging software integration yet. im running N1MM+ and i know it has SO2R support but the configuration took me an afternoon and still felt janky.

is there some point where the rate improvement actually shows up or is it really only worth it if youre already making like 150+ Qs an hour on radio 1 and you have dead time to fill? curious what people who actually use it regularly think, not looking for the "just try it" answer because i did try it and it was a mess lol

right now im running a single K3 into a 2el yagi on 20 and a trapped vertical for 40/80, nothing fancy. i usually end up somewhere in the middle of the pack on the 3830 scores for my category. been thinking about picking up a used IC-7300 or maybe a second K3 if i can find a deal, and trying to actually do SO2R properly for next years CQ WW.

but like, is the rate improvement actually worth setting up all the band switching stuff, the antenna switching, the SO2R controller, dealing with RFI between the two radios... it seems like you could spend more time managing the complexity than actually working stations. anyone here actually done the switch from SO1R to SO2R and have thoughts on whether it was worth it? and how long did it take before it stopped feeling like patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time

my current setup is a k3 into a 4el yagi on 20 and a dipole on 40, nothing exotic. heard you basically need two complete stations with good isolation between them which means bandpass filters and probably a SO2R controller box and i dunno, at some point arent you just adding failure points. had a buddy who spent the whole first night of sweepstakes chasing an RFI problem between his two rigs instead of actually operating

the guys putting up big numbers in the single op category, are they mostly SO2R or is it possible to be competitive doing single radio if your rate discipline is really good? genuinely asking because i dont want to spend money on a second radio if the real gains are just in operating smarter on one

eventually got it somewhat dialed in by the end of the weekend but my rate actually went DOWN compared to my single radio efforts which i did not expect. i know theres a learning curve but im wondering if people think the investment in time and gear is really worth it for someone doing maybe 10-12 contests a year, or if im better off just squeezing more out of a single radio setup first. im running an IC-7300 and a K3S right now with some bandpass filters between them, station isnt perfect but its workable. audio is going through a headphone mixer thing i cobbled together.

anyone gone through this same learning curve and come out the other side actually seeing the rate gains people talk about? or is SO2R mostly only worth it if you're already top 10 material and trying to push from like 2000 QSOs to 2500?

currently running a K3 and an old FT-950 that i picked up cheap, so i technically have two radios. the antenna situation is two yagis stacked for 20/15 and a wire for 40/80. my main concern is the RFI between the two rigs when both are transmitting even on different bands. i ran some tests just playing around and the second radio totally craps out when the first one is keying up on 20.

is SO2R actually worth pursuing or am i better off just focusing on single radio rate optimization? feels like i could squeeze more out of my operating technique before adding the complexity. but then again i see guys posting 1200+ QSO rates in phone contests and i cant figure out how theyre doing it without SO2R.

my current setup is a K3 and an IC-7610 going into a DX Engineering NCC-2 and a bandpass filter stack from 4O3A. interlock is handled through a microHAM SO2R box. it all works fine, the interlock is solid, no RFI issues i can hear anyway. but the cognitive load during a sprint just feels different than a 48 hour contest where you have time to settle into a rhythm.

anyone who actually runs SO2R in sprints have any tips or is this one of those situations where the juice isnt worth the squeeze and i should just focus on rate on radio 1 and use radio 2 for band checks only

the biggest thing for me was stop trying to actively operate both radios at the same time. sounds obvious but i kept trying to like, consciously manage both and it just falls apart. what actually works — at least for me — is treating radio 2 as a background process. you set it hunting on a second band while youre running on radio 1, and you only switch when you hear something that sounds solid. not every call, not every weak signal, just the ones that sound like a real QSO is gonna happen fast.

rate-wise i was doing maybe 80-90/hr on 40m and grabbing another 15-20 multipliers off 15m on radio 2 without really killing my run rate. not world class numbers obviously but for a single op in a modest station that felt pretty good.

the other thing i finally got consistent about is the footswitch setup. having the SO2R controller mapped to the footswitch so i can flip audio focus without touching the keyboard made a huge difference. seems like a small thing but when youre in a rhythm every second matters.

anybody else have tips for pushing rate higher without just brute forcing it? im running an K3 and an old FT-1000MP with a shared antenna situation so there's some compromises i have to work around.

my current setup is a k3 and i have an older ts-590 sitting on the shelf doing nothing. antenna situation is two yagis on the tower which is actually not terrible for trying this i think, the feedlines are already separate. my main worry is the intermod situation between the two radios when theyre both transmitting. ive heard horror stories about guys blowing up preamps or just getting so much garbage on the second receiver that its useless anyway.

is there a minimum filter investment before this is even viable or am i going to spend more on bandpass filters than the whole thing is worth? and does the SO2R actually translate to rate improvement for someone whos not already a top 10 operator or is it kind of wasted until you have the operating fundamentals so dialed in that the second radio is the actual bottleneck

the thing is every time i try to read about it i fall down this rabbit hole of bandpass filters, intermod issues, the antenna switching stuff, all the SO2R controllers like the microHAM or the N1MM integration and honestly my eyes glaze over. like i get the concept — you work a multiplier on radio 2 while radio 1 is in a pileup, or you search and pounce on one while running a frequency on the other — but actually setting it up without blowing up my front ends seems like a whole project.

is it actually making that much of a difference to peoples scores or is it more of a thing where it helps at the top end but for a mid-level operator it wont change much? i run maybe 600-700 qsos in a big contest right now and my rate during good conditions is decent but falls apart when band conditions shift. curious what people actually experience vs what the theory says

In the "old days" you had to choose between running for rate or searching for multipliers, but with SO2R you can theoretically do both simultaneously. However, I'm finding that it was a weekend of one radio CQing and the second radio always tuning, never really had two bands open enough to try 2BSIQ - it was old-fashioned SO2R.

How do current top contesters balance rate optimization with multiplier hunting when propagation doesn't cooperate for true dual-band operation? Are there specific techniques for maximizing the efficiency of the "search and pounce" radio during slow periods on the run frequency?

my current setup is an IC-7300 which is great but obviously only one radio. i do have an old TS-590SG sitting here that i pulled from the shack rearrangement last spring and never put back into regular use. so the hardware question is somewhat answered but everything else feels like a giant unknown. bandpass filters, SO2R controllers, antenna switching, figuring out how to not key up on myself... i dont even know where to start honestly.

is there a reasonable entry point into this or is it one of those things where you either go all-in with the full microHAM setup and dedicated antennas or you're just spinning your wheels? genuinely curious if anyone has done a more budget/scrappy version of SO2R that actually worked during a phone or CW contest.