[VHFcontesting] VHF contesting ethics questions

[John Geiger]

It was kind of refreshing to disconnect the spotting networks and clusters
this past weekend and to find stations the old fashion way-by LISTENING!
Brought back memories of the old days.

73s John AA5JG

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chet, N8RA" <chetsubaccount at snet.net>
To: "'Paul Kiesel'" <k7cw at yahoo.com>; "'VHF Contest Reflector'"
<vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 5:16 PM
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] VHF contesting ethics questions


> Hi Paul,
>
> I believe you are correct.
>
> >From the General Rules for ARRL Contests on Bands Above 50 MHz:
> "Rule 2.1.3.Use of spotting assistance or nets (operating arrangements
> involving other individuals, DX-alerting nets, packet, etc) is not
> permitted."
>
> A ping jockey listing by station saying he is now on freq X using
modulation
> Y now calling CQ is really a self-spot by that station. That itself is
> something not allowed for him by another rule I think, and it is not
> permitted for a person entering as a single op to connect to that
> assistance. This PJ spot is not really different than a packet spot, isn't
> it?
>
> This past weekend, I tried WSJT for the first time during a contest but
did
> not connect to ping jockey. I was not even motivated to do so. After using
> WSJT for a few weeks I had learned the process of knowing when the decoded
> messages had correct info, and then just followed the recommended sequence
> of replies to know when my qso's were confirmed. What else would ping
jockey
> have done for me? During non-contest times it is nice to be able to have a
> short chat on ping jockey or to get more insight into incomplete contacts.
>
> Maybe someday there will be an SOA category, but I doubt I would enter it
> since I think it would contribute far less to the fun factor than it does
in
> HF contests. One time last year I had missed that rule and connected to
> packet and found that seeing a spot from a station in Maryland about a
> station in Tennessee didn't help me any in Connecticut.
>
> 73
> Chet, N8RA
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: vhfcontesting-bounces at contesting.com
> [mailto:vhfcontesting-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Paul Kiesel
> Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 12:30 PM
> To: 'VHF Contest Reflector'
> Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] VHF contesting ethics questions
>
> I messed up my reply to this, so here it is:
>
> In the interst of being specific about the topic of using the internet, I
> ask:
>
> May a single op station participating in the June VHF QSO Party use the
N0UK
> Ping Jockey and EME pages to look for callsigns/frequencies of potential
> QSOs? I think not, but there are others who disagree.
>
> Paul, K7CW
>
> --- Paul Kiesel <k7cw at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> >
> > --- "Chet, N8RA" <chetsubaccount at snet.net> wrote:
> >
> > > My current belief is that propagation data sites like
> > >
> > > -the aurora oval picture
> > > -Hepburn map predictions
> > > -WWV SFI A and K info
> > > -muf plots
> > > -E's cloud maps
> > > -NWS radar images
> > >
> > > that have no specific real time station callsigns displayed with
> > > them, are OK to use, and are within the letter, spirit and intent of
> > > the rules. These don't solicit, suggest, or pre-fill info on
> > working
> > > a specific station right
> > > now. If my belief is not correct, I'm certainly
> > open
> > > to hear about it.
> > >
> > > The site you mention does show callsigns if you mouseover the color
> > > bands.
> > > (But I really don't know if those are unworkable stations like
> > > beacons or repeaters or include indicators from stations now active
> > > in that location.)
> > >
> > > Discussion of specific examples of ok's and
> > no-no's
> > > really helps make it
> > > clearer to me, much more so than trying to parse
> > the
> > > meanings of words in
> > > multiple sets of rules as an attorney might-hi.
> > >
> > > 73
> > > Chet, N8RA
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: vhfcontesting-bounces at contesting.com
> > > [mailto:vhfcontesting-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of kb8u vhf
> > > Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 9:04 AM
> > > To: vhfcontesting at contesting.com
> > > Subject: [VHFcontesting] VHF contesting ethics questions
> > >
> > >
> > > Do people think it is ethical to use the internet
> > to
> > > get National Weather
> > > Service radar images to assist in knowing where to point a 10 GHz
> > > dish for rain-scatter propagation during contests when all other
> > > aspects of the contact are facilitated over the air?  Exclude the 10
> > > GHz and up contest since the rules for that one say anything goes.
> > >
> > > How about use of the real-time propagtion map at
> > >
> >
> http://www.mountainlake.k12.mn.us/ham/aprs/path.cgi?map=na
> > > ?
> > >
> > > Neither give the callsign or frequency of anybody you could work so
> > > I'm OK with them but I'll stop if I'm in the minority.
> > >
> > > -Russ  KB8U
> > >
> > >
> >
> _________________________________________________________________
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> > >
> >
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