[CQ-Contest] Calling Out Needed Sections - Soliciting Contacts?

[Ward Silver]

> I am guilty of this 2-3 times last weekend in my ultimately unsuccessful 
> search for Vermont for mult #80.  My frustration about missing what is 
> normally an easy mult from NH added to my liddiness.  It never occurred to 
> me that now that I'm using Telnet rather than RF packet, it's now 
> "non-Amateur radio means".  Or how would we know RF packet vs. Telnet ? 
> hmmm...
>
> Stu        KC1F
>

U stands for Unlimited, but that does not mean we can do anything we want on 
the spotting networks.  There are still fairly clear rules for the various 
categories about what constitutes acceptable use of spots and assistance 
derived from them.

There are two issues - one is soliciting contacts indirectly through 
non-amateur means.  The other is solicting assistance from other operators 
while in a single-op category - U.

I suppose one could obscure enough information about one's frequency or time 
or whatever to remain on the right side of the "soliciting contacts" rule. 
However, doing so is just the same as making an Announcement posting saying 
"I need [xxx]" without any information about where your radio is currently 
tuned.  How about "I need Zone 39" in CQ WW?  Personally, I would not do 
this in any single-op category and that gets to the second issue.

Spotting stations and using the spots *yourself* is what U category (or SOA 
in other contests) is for - go for it.  When posting an "I need X" spot, 
though, that is explicitly asking for help from other operators and at the 
very least should put the asking station in M category to my way of 
thinking.  In times of yore, this could not be done so broadly - for 
example, after making an S&P contact, I would be asked "Heard any VE8's?" or 
maybe someone would ask on the local 2-meter simplex frequency but it was 
not nearly to the degree of putting out a worldwide spot that a particular 
multiplier is needed.  Yes, I suppose it's a matter of degree, but spotting 
networks amplify the issue by a huge amount.

73, Ward N0AX