[CQ-Contest] ARRL DX Contest Multioperator Station Guidelines

[N4ZR]

Amen, Steve - what a shock for those who hoped that changes among 
directors and new CEO who contests would improve things in Newington.

73, Pete N4ZR
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On 10/23/2020 5:41 PM, Steve London wrote:
> Here's the translation for how this went down....
>
> Some European contesters, who probably aren't ARRL members, really 
> like the idea of having IARU-contest HQ-like stations in other 
> contests. They use their supposed concern over COVID to push for their 
> goal.
>
> The ARRL PSC, without consulting their own Contest Advisory Committee 
> (CAC), agreed to some poorly thought-out guidelines, many of which 
> make no sense.
>
> The ARRL announces this on the day of CQWW SSB, clearly as a slam on 
> the CQ Contest Committee (see W7VO's "noting that the CQ committee....").
>
> If the ARRL really gave a damn about COVID, these guidelines would 
> apply immediately to all ARRL contests. I'm sure the excuse is that 
> it's too late to get it in QST for SS, ARRL 10 or ARRL 160. Since the 
> printed copy of QST no longer publishes the rules, but only has a web 
> link to the rules, that's malarkey.
>
> 73,
> Steve, N2IC
>
> On 10/23/2020 12:47 PM, Michael Ritz wrote:
>> The request for this "COVID-19 one-year variance" for the ARRL 
>> sponsored contests originated from a group of EU contesters and 
>> through the Radiosport department at ARRL HQ. It then went on to the 
>> Board's Programs and Services Committee, which approved the temporary 
>> change in a meeting held this Wednesday. While noting that the CQ 
>> committee has not made any allowances for COVID in their test rules, 
>> the motion passed and here we are.
>>
>> The rationale: Not every club station in the world has the ability to 
>> operate with a bunch of remote operators, the guys in Maine aside!  
>> This gives some of the EU club stations the chance to get on the air 
>> under their "normal" club callsign, despite the pandemic, and be part 
>> of a MM team.
>>
>> I am somewhat prejudiced here, which is why I supported it. I'm one 
>> of the believers that radiosport is best when it's done as part of a 
>> team effort, especially if you can get some new hams involved as part 
>> of the team. (You did read the article in the latest NCJ didn't you?) 
>> ;-)
>>
>> This is actually similar to what the ARRL did as an allowance for FD 
>> this year. There were hams that hated the idea of what we did then, 
>> and some that loved it. In any case, overall participation in that 
>> event was up over last year, despite the pandemic, and in my books 
>> that's a good thing. I'm sure there are critics over this decision 
>> also, but so be it. You run with whatever the contest rules are at a 
>> particular time, they are subject to change.
>>
>> If you want to run MM in the ARRL DX CW test with 15 ops crammed into 
>> a single room, have at it. Nothing is going to stop you from still 
>> doing that. If you have 15 ops all remoting in from homes all over 
>> the globe to a multi-band 5X5X5 stacked array located in Jonesport, 
>> Maine, you can still do that too. This provides a third option "for 
>> the time being". Whatever floats YOUR boat.
>>
>> "Who will enforce this rule?" You guys will. Will somebody figure out 
>> a way to game the system? Most likely. There's no big prize money 
>> here, and the vast majority of radiosport enthusiasts are honest 
>> people. Let's just get on the air, have fun, and get over this damn 
>> virus.
>>
>>
>> 73;
>> Mike
>> W7VO
>> ARRL Director, NW Division
>> Member, ARRL Programs and Services Committee
>> (and contester too!)
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