[VHFcontesting] A practical consideration

[Kenneth E. Harker]

On Tue, Aug 16, 2005 at 04:10:39AM -0700, Radiosporting Fan wrote:
> --- Ed Kucharski <k3dne at adelphia.net> wrote:
> > I believe that Tree has determined that the 
> > practice of captive roving does exist even 
> > though my friends in WNY feel otherwise
> 
> Just to be clear, I (in WNY) believe that captive and
> pack roving exists and is both encouraged by the rules
> and is celebrated in the contest recap.  

The ARRL contest rules specifically discourage captive
and circle roving.  General Rules for ARRL Contests on 
Bands Above 50 MHz 2.3.5. reads "All Rovers are encouraged 
to adopt operating practices that allow as many stations 
as possible to contact them."  That is exactly the 
opposite of captive rover and circle rover operating 
behaviour.

>                                          The event
> administrating authority has chosen (since the very
> first occurance, btw) to both allow it and make note
> of such activity publicly (not a negative comment on
> the hard working folk at the League, by ANY means!). 
> This fact is profound in understanding where we are. 
> Please note the thread Subject.

Let's consider the circle rover situation:

Historically, circle roving has been very controversial.  
In the January, 1993 contest, the first circle roving effort
(team KA1ZE) was so controversial in effect that it led to 
the infamous rules change in rover scoring and nearly killed
off the category.  In the January, 1999 contest, the grid 
circling Team N3IQ's result was so controversial that N1ND 
felt compelled to include in his writeup that the score 
was achieved "within the rules."  Team N6NB/R has been the 
first circle roving team to keep at it over multiple contests:

* In the September, 2003 contest results, the first contest
  team N6NB/R entered as circle rovers, K1TEO merely mentions 
  that N6NB/R won the contest, but does mention that N6MU 
  was a "travelling companion."

* The January, 2004 contest writeup by W3IY notes that the 
  technique used by team N6NB/R were "controversial" and that
  N6NB/R made 97% of its QSOs with the two other callsigns
  in the single contest operation. 

* In the writeup of the June, 2004 contest, the same N6NB/R
  rover team was noted as engaging in a "controversial
  practice" by K1DS.  

* In the September, 2004 contest writeup, W3IY/R won the rover
  category and was specifically praised by K1TEO for winning 
  "in a way that enhanced many other operators' fun and scores."

* The writeup for the 2005 January contest by K5MA/1 seemed
  to praise the activities of the circle rovers, and in 
  particular gave N6NB a paragraph-long direct quote, it's true.

So, it's not at all clear to me that circle roving is 
being "celebrated" in the ARRL VHF contest writeups.  In
fact, mention of its controversial status is far more 
common.

the N6NB/R team did do a bit of self-promotion just after the
January, 2004 contest, though: http://www.eham.net/articles/7590
The controversial nature of the operation was commented upon
by several people, including W2EV who noted that only
7.8 QSOs per grid went to a "real participant" and concludes
with: "As an activity this is impressive, certainly.  Let's 
not confuse this with participating in a VHF contest as a Rover, 
though."

-- 
Kenneth E. Harker WM5R
kenharker at kenharker.com
http://www.kenharker.com/