Based on my discussions with my colleagues this wasn’t only based on the
wishes of some EU contesters. It was based on input from a number of people.
And it’s for one year only.
Absent this rule the only people really running M/M would have been remote
stations. This accommodation gives more people the opportunity to play this
go around.
Saying this is a slam on the CQWW contest committee sounds almost like
paranoia to me. I really doubt that ARRL wants to hurt CQ contests. Not in
the least. In fact in many cases the PSC really doesn’t care what the CQWW
CC does. They really don’t. ARRL contests are viewed as a unique set of
events and the rules aren’t harmonized with CQ on purpose.
So maybe we can just move on and see how it goes. Next year it returns to
normal.
Ria
N2RJ
On Fri, Oct 23, 2020 at 5:52 PM Steve London <n2icarrl@gmail.com> wrote:
> Here's the translation for how this went down....
>
> Some European contesters, who probably aren't ARRL members, really like
> the idea
> of having IARU-contest HQ-like stations in other contests. They use their
> supposed concern over COVID to push for their goal.
>
> The ARRL PSC, without consulting their own Contest Advisory Committee
> (CAC),
> agreed to some poorly thought-out guidelines, many of which make no sense.
>
> The ARRL announces this on the day of CQWW SSB, clearly as a slam on the
> CQ
> Contest Committee (see W7VO's "noting that the CQ committee....").
>
> If the ARRL really gave a damn about COVID, these guidelines would apply
> immediately to all ARRL contests. I'm sure the excuse is that it's too
> late to
> get it in QST for SS, ARRL 10 or ARRL 160. Since the printed copy of QST
> no
> longer publishes the rules, but only has a web link to the rules, that's
> malarkey.
>
> 73,
> Steve, N2IC
>
> On 10/23/2020 12:47 PM, Michael Ritz wrote:
> > The request for this "COVID-19 one-year variance" for the ARRL sponsored
> contests originated from a group of EU contesters and through the
> Radiosport department at ARRL HQ. It then went on to the Board's Programs
> and Services Committee, which approved the temporary change in a meeting
> held this Wednesday. While noting that the CQ committee has not made any
> allowances for COVID in their test rules, the motion passed and here we are.
> >
> > The rationale: Not every club station in the world has the ability to
> operate with a bunch of remote operators, the guys in Maine aside! This
> gives some of the EU club stations the chance to get on the air under their
> "normal" club callsign, despite the pandemic, and be part of a MM team.
> >
> > I am somewhat prejudiced here, which is why I supported it. I'm one of
> the believers that radiosport is best when it's done as part of a team
> effort, especially if you can get some new hams involved as part of the
> team. (You did read the article in the latest NCJ didn't you?) ;-)
> >
> > This is actually similar to what the ARRL did as an allowance for FD
> this year. There were hams that hated the idea of what we did then, and
> some that loved it. In any case, overall participation in that event was up
> over last year, despite the pandemic, and in my books that's a good thing.
> I'm sure there are critics over this decision also, but so be it. You run
> with whatever the contest rules are at a particular time, they are subject
> to change.
> >
> > If you want to run MM in the ARRL DX CW test with 15 ops crammed into a
> single room, have at it. Nothing is going to stop you from still doing
> that. If you have 15 ops all remoting in from homes all over the globe to a
> multi-band 5X5X5 stacked array located in Jonesport, Maine, you can still
> do that too. This provides a third option "for the time being". Whatever
> floats YOUR boat.
> >
> > "Who will enforce this rule?" You guys will. Will somebody figure out a
> way to game the system? Most likely. There's no big prize money here, and
> the vast majority of radiosport enthusiasts are honest people. Let's just
> get on the air, have fun, and get over this damn virus.
> >
> >
> > 73;
> > Mike
> > W7VO
> > ARRL Director, NW Division
> > Member, ARRL Programs and Services Committee
> > (and contester too!)
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>
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