Tom,

Under "General Rules For All ARRL Contests", which is the top hierarchy of contest rules in addition to the standard "General Rules for ARRL Contests Above 50 MHz", there is rule 3.5 >

1. 3.5 - A transmitter used to contact one or more stations may not be subsequently used under any other call during the contest period, except for family stations where more than one call has been issued, and then only if the second call sign is used by a different operator. (The intent of this rule is to accommodate family members who must share a rig and to prohibit manufactured or artificial contacts.)

This 3.5 rule in the General Contest Rules, is meant to clarify confusion, and override the wording of rule 1.3, in the VHF Contests Above 50 MHz rules.

Rule 1.3 states: A transmitter, receiver, or antenna used to contact one or more stations may not subsequently be used under any other call during the contest period, except as provided for in General Rules for All ARRL Contests number 3.5.

So yes, all of you as family members can take turns contacting W4NH with your station equipment, as long as each operator uses their own call. However, a neighbor or guest that holds a call sign, cannot come into your QTH and use the same equipment to make contacts with W4NH.

Ron

WW8RR

From: Fourlanders [mailto:fourlanders-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Tom McElroy
Sent: Monday, August 27, 2018 4:45 PM
To: Fourlanders
Subject: [Fourlanders] September on Soco

Hi folks,

I really appreciate the work you guys put into the contests.

Forsyth County schools have yet to heed my warning about scheduling football games, final exams, and other events

near ham radio high holidays, so I never know when I'm free anymore.

Audrey KM4BUN is in STEM and Marching Band, and Jack KM4ZIA is in baseball, and Jan K4PRM makes sure we all eat (and bathe) regularly.

Geesh - when I was their age, we just threw rocks at each other for fun!

We'll have our VHF-UHF station running for the September contest, so count on us for some Q's.

1. Does sat com count? Ron pulled my head above water with rotor control, and now I know enough to be dangerous with satellites.

2. If I get my 1296 loop yagi rings back to being mostly round, and in alignment, we'll have a blazing 10 watts, all mode on 23cm. Else, I might use the standard gain horn.

3. If I get 23 cm running, the antenna will be at eye-level. So I'll do the Bryan Dunn switcharoo, and aim my antenna not north at yins guys, but south at Sawnee Mountain, and hope for back-scatter Q's.

4. Do you get points from each member of the McElroy Ham Family from the same EM74wf QTH, or does one Q from the same QTH count the same as all four of us? If so,we'll all get SSB and FT8 Q's on 2m, 70cm, and maybe 23 cm (if it works).

Tom - W4SDR

My last EME Q was six years ago. Maybe we'll get our noise temperature low enough to do EME again.