[CQ-Contest] Clarification: Single Operator VHF Contest rule clarified

[Jahnke, Bart, W9JJ]

All,

The below was shared with VHF Reflectors earlier today. The question was whether the ARRL VHF Contest Rules permit Single Operator category stations to transmit on more than one band at the same time.

Here is what we reported today:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We have reviewed the ARRL VHF Contest Rules, and with input from several helpful participants we have also revisited ARRL Board action history.

In January 2015, in conjunction with the announcement of the expansion of spotting assistance and added categories in the all ARRL VHF Contests, the ARRL Board approved several changes including to "...allow single operators to transmit on more than one band at a time."

This was published in ARRL News 21 January 2015 at http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-board-okays-changes-to-dxcc-program-vhf-and-above-contesting-rules

This action was intended to apply to all ARRL VHF/UHF Contests above 50 MHz.

Accordingly, the online rules for the January, June and September VHF Contests, as well as the "222 MHz and Above Distance Contest" have now been adjusted to conform to this policy.

Earlier, the January, June and September Contest Rules on line "sort of" said this in the miscellaneous rules at the bottom, but did not clearly state this in the section 3 rules which were specific to Single Operator stations.

These adjustments will now clearly bring the VHF Contest Rules into harmony - permitting single operators to transmit on more than one band at the same time.

With thanks to all who asked, and to all who wrote in with references to the 2015 ARRL News item...

73,

Bart Jahnke, W9JJ
Contest Branch Manager
ARRL - The national association for Amateur Radio(tm)
225 Main St
Newington CT 06111
860-594-0232
w9jj at arrl.org