[UK-CONTEST] Remote stuff

[Paul O'Kane]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ian White GM3SEK" <gm3sek at ifwtech.co.uk>

> I'm quite comfortable with remote stations, provided that
> everything at that station is on the same site, and that
> the station location is truthfully declared (above all,
> by the callsign).


I'm also quite comfortable with remote stations, except
for the purposes of contesting and award chasing. We are
all entitled to have fun in whatever way we choose so
long as it's legal and doesn't inconvenience others.

Nevertheless, I feel cheated when an operator tells me he
is not in the same location as the station.  I'd prefer
to know, in advance, whether the operator is using remote
control.  As for those who claim it doesn't matter, I say
it does matter, and that's why it's called "remote control".
If it wasn't different, it wouldn't need a different name.

It seems to me that sooner or later, remote control
operation (especially when national boundaries are
involved) will be regulated, if not banned, by our
licensing authorities.

> If that station happens to have a remote operator, it
> really doesn't trouble me. I am still making a complete
> two-way radio contact to that station, wherever it is.

Amateur radio QSOs are not station-to station-activities.
They are person-to-person with amateur-band RF as the
medium.  In the same way, phone calls are person-to-person
activities with the PSTN as the medium; they are not
exchange-to-exchange (station to station) activities.

To anyone who believes there's no harm in remote-control
"QSOs", please have a look at these links.

http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/CQ-Contest/2008-03/msg00461.html
http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/CQ-Contest/2008-03/msg00504.html


73,
Paul EI5DI