[CQ-Contest] Single Op + Pit Crew

[kr2q at optimum.net]

Yes, an old topic.  And I think that the SUBJECT for my email is actually stolen 
from N2NT (who coined the phrase many years ago), but maybe I giving incorrect
attribution to Andy.  Corrections welcomed with no ill will.

The following is my own opinion and should not be construed as anything else.

This is probably the biggest gray area that exists in the single op category.

On the one extreme (maybe) we have "what if your wife serves you food" while on the other
extreme (maybe) we have, "how about is my box-score friend sits next to me in the shack
and advices me on when to change bands or when to check the long path."  

For most of us (not all), the "wife" is clearly OK while the "expert, real time adviser" is not.

The problem is the rest.  The original post (well, the most recent one), referred to "repairs."
So the CLASSIC problem is, "My amp just died. I want to keep running while my friend drives 
over a replacement amp and installs it for me so that I don't lose any run time."

I bet the "conclusion" on this one would be 50/50 (allowed/not allowed).

For me, comparing "getting help to install antennas before the contest" to "getting help to fix 
antennas during the contest" are clearly apples and oranges.  The contest period is clearly
defined and YES there is a difference.  "During the contest" is the competition time and that's
when the rules define single op.  When you take an exam, you can prepare ahead of time as
much as you like; geta as much help as you like.  But once the examination starts, you are on 
your own.  I know others will (and do) disagree.

Because of the huge variation in opinions and the huge range for this "shades of gray" area,
I would not expect any detailed clarification (but would love to be proved wrong).

de Doug KR2Q