[CQ-Contest] Remote Contest Operation

[Chris Plumblee]

I would posit, regarding ei5di's lengthy treatise on his objection to
remote contest operation, that he is leaving a rather large hole in his
argument.

Suppose I own a home near the bottom of a large hill, as well as a plot of
land sufficient for towers and a station at the top of the hill.
Logistically I'm able to extend mains power to the top of the hill, but not
plumbing and not wired internet access. Suppose further that the distance
to the hilltop would preclude a quick walk home when nature calls.

If I want to take advantage of my good fortune I have a few options.

I could run impractically-large coax from the tower on top of the hill to
my home at the bottom.

 I could rent a portable bathroom for use during contest weekends.

Or, I could operate my equipment remotely using an amateur band microwave
link between the shack at the top of the hill and my home at the bottom.

The entire path of a qso between me and ei5di, then, would be amateur-band
rf. I don't think anyone would argue that this scenario is not remote
operation, but there is no Internet relay in the path. It would seem that
my hypothetical would satisfy ei5di's prohibition against calling any qsos
I make with this arrangement "amateur radio qsos." It's also undeniably
remote operation.

If Internet-assisted remote operation is indistinguishable from traditional
non-remote operation or a hypothetical rf-based remote operation, then I
fail to see how you can discriminate among them in practice. At the very
least you must concede that not *all* remote operation is illegitimate.

73, Chris WF3C

-- 
Chris Plumblee
407.494.5155