so ive been doing single op for a few years now and consistently putting up decent numbers in the bigger contests like CQ WW and SS but i keep hitting this wall where my rate just dies during the slower parts of the run and im sitting there spinning the second VFO anyway so it got me thinking about actually going SO2R properly instead of just pretending to

right now i have a K3 and an old FT-950 that i use for monitoring but theyre not set up with any kind of antenna switching or bandpass filters so they basically stomp on each other if i try to transmit on both. ive been reading about the 2-radio setups that the top contesters use and some of these guys have like $5k worth of filters and switching boxes just to make it work cleanly

my actual question is -- is the rate improvement worth all the setup complexity and cost for someone whos already doing reasonably well on SO1R? like am i going to see a meaningful jump in score or is this one of those things where the top 1% benefit massively and everyone else just fights with their station for 48 hours

honestly depends on how serious you want to get about it. i ran SO1R for probably 8 years before switching and the first couple contests with SO2R i actually did WORSE because i was spending so much mental energy on the logistics that my rate on the run radio suffered. it took me maybe 3 or 4 contests before it felt natural enough to actually help

the filter thing is not optional though. i tried running without proper bandpass filters the first time and the intermod was just brutal, couldnt hear anything on the second radio when i was transmitting on the first. i ended up going with the Array Solutions stuff and a 6-pack switch which wasnt cheap but its rock solid. if youre running the K3 thats at least a good foundation because the rx on that thing is good enough to actually use the second radio intelligently

the real benefit isnt just S&P rate its more about filling in the dead time. on a long run when the rate drops to like 40-50/hr you can be actively hunting multipliers on radio 2 instead of just sitting there. that mult difference at the end of 48 hours adds up way more than you'd think

the bandpass filter cost is the part that gets people. you dont necessarily need the fancy stuff right away -- some guys start with the cheaper ICE filters and they work okay for most band combos, the 40/15 and 20/10 pairings are the most forgiving anyway. where you really need good filters is when youre trying to run 20 and 40 simultaneously with antennas close together, thats where cheap filters just fall apart

also worth mentioning that N1MM has pretty good SO2R support built in now with the radio focus stuff and you can set it up so the keyboard follows your audio automatically. took me forever to figure out the configuration but once its dialed in it actually removes a lot of the mental overhead people complain about