[CQ-Contest] Open Letter to VE Contesters

[Jim Brown]

What are you smoking?  That's not "ham ingenuity," nor is it the ham 
spirit. It's rationalization, it's about MONEY and PRIVILEGE.

I and many others appreciate setting up VY1JA's remote station and 
operation during contests, but the result is a great benefit to all 
contesters in the form of another rare multiplier on the air. Me, or 
someone else, operating a rent-a-station provides NOTHING to the ham 
community (unless it also happens to be rare).

More to the point -- the ham spirit is embodied by building a station, 
whether it be small or large, and operating it yourself in competition. 
I would get NONE of that by operating a rent-a-station, whether by 
flying there or using a remote. I live an hour from W6YX and two hours 
from N6RO. I could easily drive there and operate, but I'm still at 
extreme disadvantage of scoring rules, and I get none of the 
satisfaction of generating a score from a station that I've built (with 
help from my friends, of course).  I want to be able to compete with 
other stations comparable to mine, no matter where they are located.

73, Jim K9YC

On Thu,2/25/2016 7:45 AM, Gerry Hull wrote:
> Yes, they do.  That is what ham ingenuity and friendships are all 
> about.  Those little (and not so little) guys may not get the massive 
> Eu runs from the east ... but they can.
>
> Yes, we have commercial companies that will rent you a station.  
> However, look at all the contest stations that sit idle for many events.
> Or, the M/M's that can't staff up due to lack of operators. Everyone 
> has something to offer (operator skill, technical expertise) to other 
> contest station owners in lieu of dollars. Make friends.  Do Remote!!