[CQ-Contest] Field Day & CW & 15 minute rule

[K3BU at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/30/04 7:52:36 AM Eastern Daylight Time, k8cc at comcast.net 
writes:
>>The reason this rule was implemented was to outlaw the use of an "octopus" 
or similar switching setup on Field Day.  For those not familiar with the 
term, an octopus was essentially a switching setup which allowed multiple 
radios, operating on multiple bands, to be interlocked in such a way as 
only one transmitter at a time could actually transmit, thus allowing the 
entry to be in a "one transmitter" category.  (The analogy is one 
transmitter per tentacle.)  So yeah, you could make QSOs on 160, 15, 10, 
and many other bands one at a time but still be "1A".

Don't be skeptical - this was actually done on at least one occasion and 
the ARRL decided (correctly, IMHO) that such a setup was counter-productive 
to the spirit of FD and created the dreaded "fifteen minute rule" to 
preclude it's use.<<


So, let me get this straight, because of "at least one occasion" the rules 
were damaged by silly 15 min rule for everybody, instead of specifying that you 
can use only one physical transmitter?

IMHO very counterproductive in days of fast switching setups and it is not 
promoting activity. We are seeing results with reported down activity. 
Another nail in the contesting coffin in addition to reduced reporting in 
QST. (Yea, lesser percentage of contesters - less need for contest stuff in QST). 
Hurray for Joe VeeHFer and two pages of his pictures in QST!

Yuri, K3BU.us