Topband: fixed freq receiving beacons, remote radios, and awards

[Eric Scace K3NA]

    May I point out that the Skype receiving beacon is NOT a 
remote-controlled receiver.  You can do just one thing: 
listen to it, on the frequency to which it has been tuned, 
and on its current antenna.  There is no provision for 
changing the frequency, changing the antenna, adjusting the 
bandwidth, etc.

    To work DX with this Skype receiving beacon would 
require your target DX to show up on the beacon frequency, 
and to be in a location that can be heard by the beacon and 
its antenna.  The chances of someone working much DX this 
way seems rather remote to me...

=============

    A whole different area of discussion is the use of 
remote-controlled radios (receivers or transmitters) for 
awards or competition.  This has nothing in particular to do 
with a Skype receiving beacon.  But it is clear that the 
technology has progressed to the point where it is practical 
and affordable for more people to build and/or use 
remote-controlled stations.  The time has arrived to 
consider its implications for our awards programs, such as DXCC.

    There is a spectrum of technical arrangements for a 
station.  Where does one draw the line between acceptable, 
and unacceptable, operations for award or contesting purposes?

1.  An owner/operator places all his antennas, radios and 
receivers on his property (owned or rented).  He is 
physically at the site when he makes the QSO.

2.  Same as (1), except the owner/operator is not physically 
at the site when the QSO is made.  He has used some form of 
remote control (UHF, internet, etc).

3.  The operator visits another station, owned by someone 
else, with all of its antennas, radios and receivers in one 
spot.  The station is nearby; e.g., within the same Field of 
the grid square program and the same DXCC country.  The 
operator makes a QSO under his callsign.

4.  The operator does the same as (3), except that he is not 
at the site and uses some form of remote control.

5.  The owner/operator places all of his transmitters and 
antennas at one location, and his receivers and those 
antennas at another nearby location that he owns.  He is 
physically present at one of these two sites when he makes 
the QSO.

6.  Same as (4), except the owner isn't at either of the sites.

    Etcetera... I won't enumerate all the permutations.  My 
point is that there are several parameters at play here:
    A. Must the transmitters, receivers, and their antennas 
be at the same location?  (This is required for most 
contests.)  If not, what is the permitted spacing?
    B. Must the operator be physically present at the 
transmitting and/or receiving location?
    C. Must the operator own the station?  If not, what 
restrictions (if any) exist on making QSOs for awards 
purposes from another person's station?

    There may be other parameters, or other ways to slice 
the problem into manageable pieces.

    After decomposing the issue, awards administrators can 
make some choices (hopefully with input from the community). 
  For example, the following might be considered acceptable 
for DXCC:  QSOs made with a remotely-controlled station 
under the following conditions:
    -- the transmitter, receiver and antennas used in the 
QSO are located within a 500m circle; AND
    -- the station is in the same Grid Field (e.g., JO or 
FN) as the operator's current licensed location at the time 
of the QSO; AND
    -- if the remote-controlled station is not owned by the 
operator, the operator has written permission from the owner 
for its use at the time of the QSO.

    In my opinion, QSOs made under these circumstances would 
be of similar operating difficulty (propagation, etc) to 
those made by traditional means.  Such an approach allows 
for a certain degree of technical prowess (as pioneered by 
folks such as K9DX), so that hams who live in impaired 
locations (like my apartment in the city of Boston) can 
chase DX awards.

    And this approach encourages such hams to master the 
technology for building, maintaining, and operating stations 
in good locations for HF.  The more good HF stations exist, 
the better off we are in the next communications emergency. 
  A good HF station can be staffed on site, if remote access 
is not available... and remote access to well-placed HF 
stations near (but just outside) a disaster area can be a 
valuable asset to those working on relief.


73,
    -- Eric K3NA