[CQ-Contest] Question about category

[jimk8mr at aol.com]

As one who has perhaps written the book, or at least the NCJ articles, on mobile contesting, I don't agree with counting a non-operating driver as an operator.
In Florida, I do a single op, no driver entry. The basic rule: do most of the operating while parked, typically shortly after entering a county, and do the mop-up operating while driving. And the most important rule: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO KEEP A LOG WHILE DRIVING!   Record the contest, or at least the driving part, for later transcription. This works only in states without QSO numbers - keeping track of them while driving is too much of a distraction to be operating while driving.
In Ohio, we have no distinction between mobile single op or multi-op, and we don't care who drives. Anyone who enters as a no-driver single op has to understand that he is unlikely to be competitive vs. an op or ops with a driver. And as a contest sponsor, I'd hate to have to explain in court why we specifically provided for people to be driving while operating.
Pennsylvania considers a driver as an operator. So my XYL has qualified as a contest op while driving across PA on the way to visit our daughter in NJ during a PAQP weekend. But she still does not like driving.
But regardless of the rules, mobile contesting in the state QSO parties is a blast. And speaking of Pennsylvania, I'll be out mobile on Saturday in the PAQP, sharing driving and operating with Gary, AF8A.  Hope to work lots of you then!


73  -  Jim  K8MR



-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Brown <k9yc at audiosystemsgroup.com>
To: cq-contest at contesting.com
Sent: Mon, Oct 5, 2020 2:16 pm
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Question about category

On 10/4/2020 1:47 AM, Tonno Vahk wrote:
> ARRL in his FAQ even defines it:
> 
> “Operating” includes all methods of soliciting and making QSOs.

Neither ARRL or CQ are the rule-makers for all contests. I know of at 
least one state QSO party that considers the driver of a mobile entry an 
operator. For mobile operation, I consider this entirely fair to 
differentiate this from one person in a mobile who both drives and 
operates. Certainly operating and logging while also driving is quite 
challenging; the alternative is for the single person to drive between 
setups, park, and operate, in both cases with self-contained antennas 
and power capable of operation in motion.

73, Jim K9YC