[SEDXC] DISTANT REMOTES

[Mike Greenway]

Below is a letter I sent to K4AC our ARRL Board of Directors Rep, in regard to distant remotes from ones QTH.  Contact me directly for any comments for or against so as not to clutter up the reflector.  Also CC: to K4JRB our DXAC rep.  DXAC has the right ideas but the Board of Directors, mostly non DXCC type, have the final say and are not listening to the DXAC which is made up of DXCC chasers.

Doug, I am writing to you in regard to the use of remote stations in the DXCC program.  I was very sad to hear that the Board did not follow the suggestions of the DXAC in regard to mileage limits on distance from remotes.  The DXCC Challenge is my prime focus.  I keep building bigger antennas and improving my station to stay competitive in the program 160-6 meters. I take DXCC very seriously and have been a ham for almost 58 years.  I am a member and have been a President several times in the past of the Southesastern DX Club.  DXCC is a serious competition for me as well as many friends I have which I think is not well understood by non DXCC chasers.

I am very discouraged seeing remote users jumping from coast to coast via remotes working stations for DXCC credit.  That is not in the spirit of the DXCC program in any fashion.  I know it is legal to work from any location within the USA for a DXCC credit.  I have locations in the world that are hard to me to work, ie Asia, whereby the west coast works it with ease.  On the other hand the west coast has more trouble working Europe where it is easy for us on the east coast so we both have disadvantages due to where we are located and that is part of the challenge and in the spirit of DXCC.  This summer on 6 meters stations from the west coast have been using remotes on the east coast to work Europe.  Does that sound fair to the non remote west coast guys?  I know this cannot be policed properly but at least put into the rules of what is expected.  I know when I sign my name to my DXCC submission I have followed the rules as they were written and not just making my own judgment as to how to interpret the rules.

I know one bit of contention was about the northern guys the go to FL in the winter and operate their remote back home.  No problem with that.  All his DX DXCC credits are still from his home QTH.  Using a remote with 200 KM as the DXAC suggested puts no burden on them.. They can operate from anywhere in the world, but the transmitter they are using should be at or within 200 Km of their home FCC address.  I have no problem with anyone carrying their credits with them if they move QTHs but again anything afterward must be worked from within 200 Km of their new FCC QTH. 

I would appreciate your consideration in the future following the DXAC’s recommendations as they understand the situation being DXCC participants. 

73 Mike K4PI