Gents-
Just so you know and are not blindsided by misinformation. I am BCCing a
bunch of people to keep the spammers unhappy, just so you know. I can
provide you the list of who this was sent to if you are so inclined.
I am sure the following will offend quite a few people. Feel free to reply
back at me with constructive criticism, flamers and attacks will just be
ignored as they should be.
I answered messages on the VHFContesting reflector relating to Rovers and
why the ARRL made so many crazy rules. I posted a comment that a local club
seemed was running 2A while they were in a location that normally houses an
amateur radio station, which in fact is 2E. I didn't mean to state, imply,
or in any other way make it seem like they were doing so intentionally, just
that they were indeed doing so. I represented myself only, not any group I
am associated with, in defense of the ARRL and brought up the next
question: if you know the charter/goal of the event, but you are walking in
a gray area, isn't is your responsibility to not only clear this up but also
to get out of the gray area for the betterment of the contest and the hobby
itself? Why would you even want to stretch the rules?
Needless to say this drew some consternation from the group itself, as well
as others. So I did what I needed to do, I researched the rules and I
contacted the ARRL contest team for clarification. Here is the summary.
First, I wanted to find out if Rovers were allowed at FD. As to Rover
operation, Rovers are allowed to be part of FD operation as long as they
stay within the 1000 foot circle and not "capable of operating while in
motion and normally operated in this manner.". Our Rovers obviously fit into
this class. In fact most Rovers do, as the antennas must be erected and if
you travel erected they have this habit of breaking things.
Second, as to my comment about classification. The rules state "4.6. (Class
D) Home stations: Stations operating from permanent or licensed station
locations using commercial power. Class D stations may only count contacts
made with Class A, B, C, E and F Field Day stations. 4.7. (Class E) Home
stations - Emergency power: Same as Class D, but using emergency power for
transmitters and receivers. Class E may work all Field Day stations." This
particular club station operates in a facility that normally operates a
permanent station. So, to make 100% sure I contacted Dan Henderson, the FD
Dude at ARRL. I provided the specifics. He clarified the Rover issue,
stating that as long as it was one of those 'stationary Rovers' it was more
than acceptable at FD, and that any FD operation that houses itself in the
location a normal ham station operates from is either 2D (electrical mains)
or 2E (emergency power). Temporary vs. permanent antennas have no bearing on
this. Read them at http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2007/fd.html if you
would like.
Lastly, does the use of APRS and the internet cross the line when you are
following a station that is Roving? According to the ARRL, "3.10. The use of
non-Amateur Radio means of communication (for example, Internet or
telephone) to solicit a contact (or contacts) during the contest period is
not permitted." It seems pretty straightforward here as well. Using any form
of non-radio transport to follow a rover should not be done. Now you can
stretch this as well and say you are just following them and not soliciting
a contact, but doesn't that cross the line as well? Let's be honest.
In these questions, which I feel I represented in a very straightforward
manner, the ARRL team didn't hesitate to answer as I had expected, based on
the rules posted. In fact, if seemed that they were somewhat annoyed and
stated that we all should "just read the rules".
I am not looking to make a federal case out of any of this. I really don't
care what other groups in this hobby do when they file contest scores. Our
teams get out there not to win as much as to have fun and to learn. There
are a small number of people and groups that blatantly cheat on the scores,
we all know they are out there, but most people just misinterpret the rules.
I am also not looking for a fight about whether IRLP, EchoLink, D-Star or
other transport modes are really "amateur radio". Everyone has their
opinion, including me. I personally use all of the above because they are
cool technologies and work well for their intended purpose. I will admit it
that when I got an IRLP QSL card it was kinda weird, and when someone told
me I had a S9 IRLP signal that was also kinda weird, but I digress. I feel
we need to help these people better understand the hobby and the technology.
I guess I am a dinosaur. I feel that the rules are the rules. If you feel a
rule is not right or unfair, work to change it. If you are doing something
and questioning it, the answer often is you already know it may be legal but
it is wrong, so why do it in the first place? But ethics are different for
different people, I am not here to judge, I am here to learn and to have fun
and propagate the hobby in a positive manner.
I do wish to apologize to all of you who felt that any of the original
message had any intent on a attack, it did not. However, it was meant to
provide my opinion of a hobby that I feel needs to be way above board and
self-police itself rather than using taxpayers money to do so, that is a
recipe for disaster. My apology is this: I am sorry if I worded the message
in a way that you interpreted it as negative or an attach, it was not meant
to be so.
So there ya have it. Rule misinterpretations happen, and if we go out of our
way to correct them, it is a good thing. I PERSONALLY BELIEVE that if on a
national level if we self-policed ourselves and didn't stretch the rules or
blatantly cheat to win contests, there would have been no conversation.
Joe Serocki, N9IFG, representing MYSELF and my PERSONAL OPINION
If you don't like it SPIN THE DIAL!
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