[CQ-Contest] New Contesting Classification

[w4aaw at aol.com]

The idea of creating a special contest classification for operators who use a remote station "not their own" strikes me as an answer looking for a question.  What would it accomplish?  At W4AAW, we have a group of 30 operators who team up to operate M/M in contests.  No one operates from the W4AAW shack.  All the ops are somewhere else, connecting by Internet.  Why?

Because the guys are all avid contesters, most of whom live in places where they can not put up antennas that would allow them to be competitive.  Others are unable to travel to a big station.

They pay nothing to operate W4AAW.  They derive great fulfillment from being part of a team that often finishes with a Top Ten NA M/M score.  

Two of our operators even operate W4AAW as SO2R remotely; one from Oregon and the other from Louisiana.  

At K7JR, W1VE, W7RN, W4AAW and other stations, operators who otherwise could not participate in contesting from a "big" station can do so.

Some people elect to fork over money in order to use a remote station.  Perhaps those operators would prefer to spend that money on building an elaborate antenna system but can't because of HOA rules, etc.

Why should they be penalized or stigmatized for seizing the opportunity to operate a big station, if they have the where-with-all to do so?  

Is there supposed to be some sort of "shame" attached to operating remotely?  If a detractor would put forth the effort (and considerable expense) to build a competitive remote-capable contest station, he would see that contesting remotely is MORE difficult than in-shack operating.  

Thanks for the chance to present another side of the question.

73, Mike W4AAW

www.remotecontesting.com