[Fourlanders] Grid Circling

[Robin Midgett]

Hi Jim, et al,
As with any creation, someone will seek the path of least resistance 
and thereby reveal the loop holes in the creation. This is one way 
improvements come to pass. Sadly, the ARRL lags severely in making 
improvements to the creation (the rover category in this case).
Concerning grid circling and the task afoot of defining it, I offer 
this: it would be a mistake to omit from the definition & future 
rules what grid circling is NOT. While reading the comments offered 
so far, and the posting on grid circling at wikipedia, it appears 
that grid circling is NOT a rover (single or multiple) who targets 
operating positions near the intersection of grid boundaries and 
contacts as many other stations as possible from each of the four grids.

I believe the controversy is over the situation of several rover 
stations who make circling grid corners a prime focus of their 
operation, and who don't try to operate as many other stations as 
possible while in a given grid.

Scenario: Multiple rover stations coordinate to arrive in separate 
but intersecting grids during a contest and contact as many stations 
as possible (including each other) from each of the grids, then 
rotate positions so that each rover station moves one grid and 
repeats the process. Is this grid circling? I think not.
If this process is played out to the exclusion of other stations not 
in the rover organization, then that is grid circling, and it only 
serves to inflate the rover's scores. For this reason, I like the 
notion of a separate category for pack rovers and rovers who circle 
grids. I believe the original intent of the rover category is to 
promote activity and add elements of challenge to the overall 
contest. Putting those who exclude contacting as many other stations 
as possible in a separate category will ultimately cause a lack of 
interest in the that category of "competition" (quotes because 
circling & pack roving in the context discussed isn't competing at 
all). Hopefully, those who take part in circling will then graduate 
to compete in a more constructive, challenging and significant sense.

Also, while I'm on the soap box...the term is ROVING...NOT ROVERING. 
Rover is a noun, roving is a verb. A rover goes roving...not 
"rovering"...there just can't be such a word because it is 
grammatically illegitimate.
If one rows a boat, he/she is a rower, not a "rowinger", and he/she 
goes rowing, not "rowering". If one drives a car, he/she is the 
driver, not the drivinger, and he/she goes driving, not drivering.

Hey..that's it...put the pack rovers and grid circling teams in an 
illegitimate category called Rovering!

Thanks,
Robin Midgett K4IDC
615-322-5836 office - rolls to pager
615-835-7699 pager
615-301-1642 home
K4IDC at comcast.net
http://www.people.vanderbilt.edu/~robin.midgett/index.htm