[UK-CONTEST] Remote operating

[David Gould]

Having spent 7 years working with an NOV from the RA (and later 
Ofcom) and with help from other amateurs to get the Remote facility 
added to the licence, I have been reading this thread with interest.

I absolutely agree with the comments that the "station" should be in 
one place and not have multiple dispersed receivers for any purpose, 
contest, DXCC or ragchew.

Internet receivers have their place for testing, evaluation and 
possibly research purposes, but not for genuine QSOs.

I agree the station should be properly licensed for the country it is 
located in.

In my personal view it should not matter where the operator 
is..    Most people do not set up remote systems "just for the hell 
of it".  It can be either to use a home station from somewhere else 
if away on business for example, or it could be a station set up 
elsewhere where the home location has restrictions. In either case 
someone has taken the initiative and made the investment to build a 
remote station to get over the limitations they have.  Either of 
these situations will allow the person to operate more often and with 
better facility than otherwise they would have been able to.  It is 
done to further their own enjoyment of the hobby.

If another operator feels uncomfortable/cheated by working a remote 
station they are perfectly free to feel that way as it is their own choice.

Comments have also been made about a QSO being person to person 
(rather than station to station) which they still are of course - but 
using a "long headset lead" which is a very robust analogy and length 
of lead is irrelevant.  If  person to person is so  important why do 
logging programs have CW memories and recorded .wav files?  I have 
seen claims that some operators don't even operate a key at all in contests!!

In a ragchew situation I always explain that I am operating remotely, 
I cannot see why this should upset anyone.

As far as DXCC or award schemes are concerned,  I again do not see 
any **logical** reason why the operator could not be elsewhere, but I 
accept that the award scheme can set whatever rules they like.  Most 
reasons given seem to be emotive rather than logical.

As far as contests are concerned...  I can either operate my station 
remotely or I can go onsite to operate.  From an engineering 
efficiency viewpoint operating remotely is always going to be at a 
disadvantage compared to onsite operation for reasons of latency and 
audio quality, due to distance and bandwidth limitations.   So where 
do the perceived views of unfair advantage come from?  The only very 
minor thing I can think of is the greater physical comfort operating 
from home, but does this really impact the result?? This could also 
easily be overcome with additional investment - but most would 
probably opt for a bigger/better antenna system instead.

Lets not stay stuck in the past, but use our skills and privileges to 
be innovative, it may become more and more necessary with the growth 
of PLT and the latest solar panel issues.  It would be interesting to 
compare the number of people who derive benefit and enjoyment from 
remote operation to those who would try to prevent it.


73,
Dave, G3UEG