[VHFcontesting] W4SHG/R Fall 222 Mhz Sprint Score and Observations

[Nate Duehr]

On Sep 26, 2007, at 6:52 AM, Steve Gilmore wrote:

> I hope to see you all next week on the 432 Sprint, if I can stay  
> out of
> jail. I haven't totaled everything yet but 60 Q's and probably 38  
> grids or
> so. Not bad but certainly not great. That score added to the "Rover  
> being
> frisked and being accused of direction finding at a National  
> Security Site
> Bonus" of 100,000 points I think I won this event hands down :)

Put down the radio and step away from the vehicle, sir!  LOL!

Are we going to have to print up "Roving is not a Crime" bumper  
stickers, like the skateboarder kids have?  :-)

In all seriousness, it would seem appropriate for you to write a  
letter to the Chief:

- Explain that you're not trying to complain or get anyone in trouble.
- State what you were doing in layman's terms (long-distance radio  
contacts for a contest)
- State that it's a hobby for many people.  Reference ARRL.
- Note that it helps if you're on "high ground" and that the radios  
perform best that way.
- Share your typical roving schedule in generalities for a particular  
year, noting that the days change annually but typically fall within  
a specific week/day of the month every year
- And finally, politely mention that the location where you were  
"stopped" is commonly used by yourself (and others, if applicable) in  
that area.

- Ask them politely to share this information with their officers  
that patrol that area.  They usually will.
- And then give them contact information to call you if they have  
"any questions".

Then keep a copy of the letter in the glove box for later Gomer Pile  
reference.  "Here's a copy of a letter I sent to your Chief regarding  
this three years ago.  Perhaps everyone's forgotten?"  You might also  
CC the ARRL Section Manager.

The reality is -- if they saw your incident as a "threat" in any way,  
they could start proceedings to block off more area leading to where  
you were stopped to "fix" the "problem" permanently.  Offering up  
written details of what is going on, sent to the leadership in  
charge, and being friendly with an offer of "assistance" preemptively  
could completely defuse that, if it were happening behind the scenes.

(Even if they can't be civil enough to just check in on you and move  
along, without giving you the third-degree, you can at least turn the  
tables and be polite and helpful.  It almost always works out well.)

The closest I ever got to "the law" on a rove was having a discussion  
with a County Sheriff in the middle of nowhere at a diner in the  
middle of the night.  He wanted to know if I was a "stormchaser".  Of  
course, I didn't really think it appropriate to point out that it was  
3AM and the solar lifting necessary for severe thunderstorms ended  
sometime around 8PM the night before... plus he might have thought  
I'd "chased" out into Nebraska (I did, but not after storms!) and was  
headed back into Denver.  And he shared some interesting tornado  
stories over coffee in the middle of the night.  Nice normal guy.

--
Nate Duehr, WY0X
nate at natetech.com