[VHFcontesting] A Brief History of (Captive) Roving

[Ed Kucharski]

Ev,

I'm sure your elmered rover scenario in your post below happens frequently and that is how the system should work.

BUT (!) that has not always been the case and may still not be.  There are multi-op stations (I know of one) that have equipped rover stations with microwave gear, that almost could be considered proprietary in that it operates on limited and unique frequencies designed to QSO with the sponsoring multi-op station only.  This practice started before the rover category existed - instead of roving, the well equipped "portable" microwave stations would go to adjacent grids and prior to grids to sections and set-up and work the sponsoring multi-op.  As I understand the history, the project was a significant undertaking and somewhat of a marvel of design and implementation.  IMHO such an undertaking is not consistent with the spirit and intent of radio contesting and that is what has me miffed about captive rovers.  Can I prove this existence?  Nope - I don't have logs, pictures, recordings or other evidence other than information from extremely reliable sources and personally overheard conversations.  I do think some good has come from captive rovers though.  Secondary to their existence, single-ops, rovers and especially multi-op stations have pushed harder to become active on microwaves - that was good.  

I think that KB1EAA may have stumbled across one of these rovers as he alluded to in a portion of a previous post pasted below.

At 09:02 PM 5/1/2003 -0400, Dave Wendling wrote:
You haven't been out much. I have been in my rover parked next to captive 
rovers on Mt Wachussets in MA who would not give me a point even after I 
walked over and introduced myself to them! I also personally know several 
rovers who received all of their microwave gear from a big multiop station. 
Pretending it doesn't happen or keeping your head buried in the sand won't 
make it go away.

BTW, I don't have a problem with rovers who received all or most of their gear from a big multi-op as long as they QSO with more stations than just that multi-op.  I have been complaining about the captive rover issue for decades and I doubt there will ever be any rule changes to discourage or prohibit the activity - any such rule change would probably have an unintentional trickle down effect to hurt more than it would help.  Kinda like how the new rover rules that came about after the infamous grid circling incident occurred that ticked off many established rovers to quit roving.  I only wish that the time and effort that goes into this practice could have a benefit for stations other than the sponsoring multi-op.  
I have said before that the rover category was the best thing for vhf+ contesting since sliced bread - I only wish there were more of them for me to work!

73,
Ed K3DNE










At 07:06 PM 5/3/2003 -0400, you wrote:
>1. There was a time when there was little activity above 1296 MHz.
>2. Multi-Ops _Elmered_ rovers into the higher bands for obvious reasons.
>   NOTE: Isn't this EXACTLY what needs to be done to "save the VHF contests"?
>         Let's not be hyprcritical. ;-)
>3. Rovers thanked them by making sure that the multi-ops got logged from
>   every visited grid on every available band.
>   NOTE: Not to the exclusion of others...but with a special effort to make
>         sure the multi-op that Elmered them got taken care of.
>
>I don't call that captive, I call it gratitude.
>
>The term "captive rover" was coined by the people that got 'miffed' (read this
>sentence over and over until you understand it).
>
>Why do people operate contests as Rovers? (get ready, you've seen this before)
>o It's fun  (duh!)
>o There's a reward
>  The question is, what is the reward?  Ask the Rovers...don't ass-u-me.
>
>I have never heard the term "captive rover" used by anyone other than those that
>somehow missed working a Rover in a grid they needed (by the way...have I
>mentioned the power of BEACONet.25's CU2QSO strategy yet?).
>
>Ev, W2EV
>
>PS...How do you get a fleet of "captive rovers"?  Easy... ELMER THEM!  Save the
>VHF Contest while you're at it.  How can you go wrong?  It's a Two-fer-One Sale!
>
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