so ive been running single op for years now and every contest i watch the top scores and they're almost always SO2R guys. i get the concept, radio 1 is running a frequency, radio 2 is hunting mults on the other band, but actually executing it seems like a nightmare especially with the interference between the two rigs.

i tried a basic version of it last CQWW with my K3 and a borrowed TS-590 and the bleedover was bad enough that i basically gave up after an hour. been reading about bandpass filters, the 4O3A stuff and the ICE filters, but man the cost adds up fast. for those of you who run SO2R regularly is it something you eased into or did you just go all in with the proper filtering from day one?

also curious about the operating rhythm — like how do you mentally switch between two QSOs at once, do you just get used to it or is there some trick to it. feels like rubbing your belly and patting your head at the same time honestly.

the filtering is non-negotiable if your antennas are anywhere near each other. i ran without proper bandpass filters once and it was exactly what you described, just garbage. the 4O3A filters are the gold standard but the Dunestar 600 series works fine if you're on a budget, ive had mine for probably 8 years. you really want the two radio paths to be as isolated as possible at the antenna level too — separate feedlines, separate antenna systems if you can manage it, not just filters inline.

as for the mental side of it, it honestly just takes reps. the first few contests youre going to fumble the timing constantly, miss exchanges because your ear is half on the wrong radio, all of that. what helped me was starting SO2R only during slow rate periods, like when running on 20 dries up at 0200 local, thats when you go hunting on 40 with radio 2 while radio 1 just holds the frequency. you're not trying to do both at full speed at first. build up from there. took me maybe 3 serious contest weekends before the rhythm started feeling natural.

honest opinion — if your rate is already limited by operating skill or antenna rather than the SO2R advantage, fixing those things will probably get you more points per dollar than the filtering setup. i know guys running high single-digit hours in CQWW on a single radio with a modest beam who outscore casual SO2R ops just because their CW is clean and fast and they dont waste time on bad band decisions.

that said once you hit a ceiling with single radio the SO2R mult hunting during run lulls is huge, especially for the multiplier bonus on something like SS or CQWW. the bleedover thing is real though, dont underestimate it. also worth lookin into the YCCC SO2R box or similar switching controllers if you go that route, makes the keying and audio routing way less of a rats nest.