[CQ-Contest] Contesting using remote stations

[Michael Coslo]

On Mar 17, 2008, at 3:41 PM, Jim Rhodes wrote:

> It certainly does not.

I certainly respectfully disagree!

> It makes no statement about remote stations, other than to imply  
> that they are allowed. It does not say that the operator has to be  
> within the 500 ft circle, just the transmitters and  
> receivers.Doesn't even mention that the antennas have to be.  
> However, by not mentioning transceivers (using your logic) does  
> that mean I have to dig up a set of Drake twins to enter?
>

>>
>> Transmitters and receivers must be
>> located within a 500 meter diameter circle
>> or within the property limits of the station
>> licensee’s address, whichever is
>> greater. All antennas used by the entrant
>> must be physically connected by wires to
>> the transmitters and receivers used by the
>> entrant.
>

	I've said it before, and I'll say it again. All rules are meant to  
be interpreted, because there is no such thing as a completely  
unambiguous rule.
	While we can armchair lawyer what  the rules say, lets look at what  
they don't say, or try to divine some intent from them. Let's break  
it down:


>> Transmitters and receivers must be
>> located within a 500 meter diameter circle

	So let's assume that remote stations are allowed.

	Why on earth would a 500 meter circle be of any importance if the  
location of the station could be anywhere? Transmitters and receivers  
have to be within 500 meters even if they are a thousand miles away  
and controlled by the internet? Right there is the big clue to what  
they are thinking.

>>
>> or within the property limits of the station
>> licensee’s address, whichever is
>> greater.

Okay, now we're starting to see something interesting here. If a  
person has a big property, they can have a bigger separation between  
antennas and radios. The licensee's address thing is a little  
awkward. Some wag might insist that the licensees away from home  
property that would support a larger than 500 meter radius wasn't  
eligible because the home address wouldn't. A moot point, but I've  
seen people argue on more outlandish points.


>> All antennas used by the entrant
>> must be physically connected by wires to
>> the transmitters and receivers used by the
>> entrant.


	Okay, now this might seem to be a "DUH" moment, but what are they  
trying to say here? Keeping in mind that this rule was almost  
certainly written before the concept of having a station at some site  
that is unattended, and controlled via the internet, it looks like  
they want the entrant AT the station. One could try to wordsmith this  
one by saying that the wires in his home are connected to other  
wires, which are connected to other wires, ad nauseam.

So I read it as "not allowed" in the present state of things. They  
want you AT the station, and they want the station fitting within a  
500 meter circle, or what your property supports.

Now that technology has made the rule a little muddy with modes of  
operation that weren't likely available when it was written, it  
should be revisited, with some specific attention paid to the advent  
of internet controlled stations. But it still might come back that  
they weren't allowed. I would/will allow remote stations in my  
contest because I think the technology is interesting. I also suspect  
that really top notch contesters will find remote operating  
frustrating due to latency, as will the people working them.

Want to see what I think are a well written set of rules?

http://www.nittany-arc.net/Web%20Packages/parules2005.html

Granted I wrote them, so I'm tooting my own horn, but when I took  
over the rules were one page of fairly small type.

After much consternation on the part of Ops, I re-wrote the rules,  
adding definitions, updating rules for technology change, and trying  
to make everything as clear as possible. Now the rules are 9 pages  
long, admittedly with bigger type, but still a lot more to read.

It goes a long way toward eliminating discussions such as this, but  
don't doubt that people could tear it apart also. 8^)

-73 de Mike N3LI -