[CQ-Contest] "500-meter circle" rule question

[Jim Brown]

On 2/22/2022 12:20 PM, John Owens wrote:
> Unless a contest specifically allows it, I would assume that I can’t move over a line that would change my exchange. So for most contests, I would need to stay within California or within my ARRL section (SCV).

Hi John,

I would not assume that without reading the contest Rules. Remember that 
FCC Rules have not required signing /M or /P or /n (where n is the call 
area) for almost 50 years. There are lots of very active contesters who 
live outside area designated by their call, and who never sign /n.

But for contesting, we SHOULD sign /M if our operation is likely to 
change our exchange during the course of the contest. I never log /n for 
FCC licensed hams. And although I do work some contests QRP, I never 
work stations signing /QRP, simply because their doing so is both 
un-necessary and a time-waster (especially so if their signal is very 
hard to copy anyway).

73, Jim K9YC