[VHFcontesting] Get A Grip!

[George Fremin III - K5TR]

On Fri, Sep 06, 2002 at 12:13:24AM -0400, Russ Pillsbury K2TXB wrote:
> 
> But the questions is "Not allowed for what?"  Certainly the intent of the
> rules in disallowing packet operations is for use for spotting nets.  If he
> is using it only for tracking, that is not spotting.  And it does not give
> assistance to his station even if other stations were to use that info to
> locate him.

My guess would be that this was seen as self spotting.
By using APRS you are sending your call and location out.
This is not really much diffrent than getting on a packet
DX spotting system and putting that smae info out.

Most contests have rules that prohibit self spotting.

> Probably 80% of contacts made on the higher bands during contests are made
> by operators advertising at length on 6 or 2 meters that they are looking
> for UHF or microwave skeds.  The skeds are made and the exact location to
> point, the frequency, sequencing are all known in advance of the attempt.

While this is true - and you might make the case that it is 
the same (I do not think it is) but you are doing this with the 
bands/mode/radio that you are using to make contacts in the contest.
It does not involve any sort of relays etc.


> If this is to be allowed (and it surely is) then what is the justification
> for not allowing people to merely discover the location of rovers via an
> APRS tracker?

I think it has a lot to do with the rules about self spotting.

> 
> To carry the issue a bit further, I and many other stations often tell other
> contest stations about the location, frequency, etc., of other stations
> during a contest. 

mmmmm...... I do not see any diffrence between this form of assistance and 
using packet spotting - in both cases you would be getting offsite help
in locating or working stations.  This is clearly prohibited activity.


> Sometimes we even set up skeds for third parties.

Skeds for third parties? 

I think this is clearly beyond the rules.


-- 
George Fremin III - K5TR
geoiii at kkn.net
http://www.kkn.net/~k5tr