[CQ-Contest] ARRL FD Rule 4 Opinion?...

[Steve London]

On 06/06/2013 03:50 AM, Peter Chamalian wrote:
> Back in the day when it was my privilege to serve on the CAC, we wrote the
> rule to definitively kill the octopus and any sort of time sharing.  In
> those days, using two rigs on one band was not in the cards (heck we had
> enough trouble keeping the QRM down from adjacent bands).
>
> The Acom device would fall under this new rule (based on the intent we wrote
> back in the 1980's).  It's simple.  One rig, one band, 10 minutes (or
> whatever the current rule is for band changing).  Period.

There is currently no rule for band changing.

Thanks to the internet wayback machine, here is the history:

2004 - 15 minute rule on band changes.
2005-2012 - No rule on band changes. Replaced by the statement: "Field 
Day entries are classified according to the maximum number of 
simultaneously transmitted signals...Switching and simulcasting devices 
are prohibited."
2013 - New statement: "The use of switching systems that allow for 
lockouts in order to use multiple transmitters (i.e., an "octopus") in 
an attempt to enter a lower-number-of-transmitters class are prohibited 
(i.e. using 2 transmitters that can transmit simultaneously, with two 
operators, and a lock-out system and entering class 1A)."

73,
Steve, N2IC