I think much of the issue with RHR is people are bent out of shape that
a group of people have jumped on this and appear to be doing quite
well. Business must be booming as they are adding new stations constantly.
Personally I have a decent station and am not interested in renting
station time.
In the end the challenge is personal. The award is whatever you make it.
DXCC is DXCC. If you feel better that you worked it from the same
location using wet noodles more power to you.
If you are chasing DX to impress other people I think you are doing it
wrong. When you focus on yourself and what you are doing then these
little "issues" become non issues.
My Dad told me a long time ago in business was to quit paying so much
about the other guy and start focusing on my business and what my
strength were.
I have been a ham since 1978. Honor roll number 1 mean very little to
me. What it says is that you have either been doing this longer than
me, spend more time on the radio, have a better setup, etc. It doesn't
mean that you are a better DXer. I hear so called big DXers in pileups
calling endlessly with no clue about how pileups work etc. Lots of
great DXers are in and out of a pileup before you know it. Many of
those guys may or may not have DXCC. I waited for over 20 years to
apply for DXCC and the award is still in the tube..........
Be proud of yourself and what you have done. The watering down of the
award is in your head.
On 7/12/2015 7:32 AM, nn4t@comcast.net wrote:
Good morning. I have followed with interest the discussion on this subject. I
enjoyed hearing both sides of the issue from my fellow DXers. Most of the
replies have been both thoughtful and respectful and I thank you for that.
I thought you may find it interesting to hear a comment from the perspective of
an RHR user. Perhaps some of the others who comment also used that service
(which seems to have triggered this debate) but I don't remember seeing that. I
have been an RHR customer for two years. I have been a DXer for the entire 42
years of my amateur career. Climbing the DX Challenge ladder is my principal
goal. I have a home station focused on 6, 80 and 160. 93.5% of the entities I
need for the Challenge are on these three bands. I have a full sized quarter
wave vertical for 160 (and 8 560 ' beverages), a 4 square for 80 and a 9
element M2 at 80' for 6. The station works well and has been productive. But as
you know from 160 propagation is finicky. And for those who have not spent time
on 6, it is even more so there. I rent the RHR stations because they give me
more opportunities to work new ones for the Challenge. It is simply another
tool I use to accomplish my goal. And unless the DXCC rul
es
change I will continue to do so. I appreciate, and respect, those who feel
this somehow violates the spirit of the DXCC program. I simply do not agree.
Ham radio has always had a prickly relationship with technology. On one hand we love the
cool gadgets and the hobby would die without them. On the other, it forces us to deal
with change. Anyone remember the debate about using packet clusters to work DX?
"Shooting fish in a barrel" was a common criticism of those who used that
technology. Remember when there was a move to ban from DXCC credit qsos made on a list?
I suspect remote technology is here to stay; the ARRL BOD has already spoken
once on that matter and were quite clear. What I would suggest is view this
technology as simply a tool; available to all willing to pay the fee (just like
our expensive radios, antennas, amps, etc.) . Use it or don't use it. The
choice is yours. Best, Steve, NN4T
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