FW: Re: [VHFcontesting] Roving and Hamfest

[Steve Gilmore - W4SHG]

Well it seems you have had a few responses to you post. Let me add a very
short one to in hopes aid in your decision.

"DO IT"

Nothing in the rules prohibit this activity. If you go to a hamfest and have
antennas on you car that generate interest "GREAT"

If it entices folks to come up to VHF and UHF to make a contact "GREAT"

I can see no problem with this in any way and certainly since you took the
time to post this you will judge yourself more harshly than others so
"GO FOR IT"

It is very important to increase activity on these underutilized bands. You
should be commended for taking the bands to them.

Even if you are successful the best you will do is a few VHF and UHF FM
contacts which certainly won't generate some 70,000 point score at 1 point
per and they are all local meaning the same grid so no multipliers.

Your certainly not grid circling as clearly others do in the contests but
are not penalized. I would say soliciting contacts should be discouraged
however, telling people that their is a contest and telling them what
frequencies you will be on before the contest, or setting up a schedule
(yuck) seems acceptable before the contest why would a hamfest be different.

Create the activity, I do not agree with K8CC and I suggest many others of
us who regularly VHF+ contest would not agree either.

The object is to create activity.
Good Job -----

Respectfully Submitted - W4SHG


At 08:15 PM 8/31/04 -0400, Jimk8mr at aol.com wrote:
>The September VHF QSO Party happens to coincide with two of the better
>hamfests in my area, Butler, PA (FN00) to the east of us, and Findlay, OH
>(EN81) to the west.  Both are fairly close to grid corners.
>
>My question:  would their be any serious problems, either rule wise or
>ethical, about setting up a rover stop at the hamfest - whether in the
>flea  market area or a nearby parking area?  Would working hamfest
>attendees on  FM - their radios, not ones provided by us - be a problem?

I think there is an important distinction to be made here.

If people initiate the QSO with you because they see you operating, I think
it's wrong.  It's a form of using non-amateur means (visual) to initiate a
contact.

Here's some examples:

If you're parked out of sight of the hamfest, and you're trolling the bands
(or calling CQ on an appropriate frequency) hoping to take advantage of the
hamfest activity, it's legit.

If you're sitting in the hamfest or parking lot, and people see the rover
antennas on your minivan roof, ask what you're doing and dial up their HTs
to work you, it's wrong.

Yes, I know either situation can be interpreted as a matter of degree.  You
can make the argument that if two rovers encounter each other on a hilltop,
it's certainly not wrong for them to work each other.  But I think this is
different.

Dave/K8CC