[VHFcontesting] Post-Contest Grid Square Queries

[David Olean]

Dave, please don't take this as an accusal, but isn't asking someone
> during the contest to move to another band to make a qso considered to
> be "Use of spotting assistance"?

No I don't believe it is. Afterall, you as a single operator just worked the 
guy on a lower band, say two meters, and you are asking him to QSY to 
another band. No one else helped you do it. You had to work him in the first 
place, and QSY all by your own doing. You relied on your transmitter and 
receiver to accomplish it. No repeaters were used. No help from internet 
sites. No help from anything. You did it all!!   AND no animals were harmed 
during the QSO.
    Spotting assistance is simply relying on other means to let someone know 
you are on such and such a frequency. If you tell someone during a VHF SSB 
or CW QSO where you will be on another band, you are not getting or giving 
any spotting assistance. If you use APRS to let people see your location, 
you just got some outside help with digipeating etc. You used an external 
system. Prop loggers do the same thing. They announce to the world what 
frequency you are on. You did not do it, the computer and internet 
accomplished it. I guess the key word is "assistance".  Doing it yourself is 
fine. It is done on HF all the time as well.  I worked a guy in CA on 10 
meter CW during a contest, and he got all excited and made me QSY to 10 M 
phone for the points. Rare mults are run up the bands all the time. Just do 
it yourself from a real ham band. (Don't use your cell phone!) and you will 
be OK.

73
Dave
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sebastian" <w4as at bellsouth.net>
To: "VHF Contesting Reflector" <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2008 2:27 PM
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] Post-Contest Grid Square Queries


> Dave, please don't take this as an accusal, but isn't asking someone
> during the contest to move to another band to make a qso considered to
> be "Use of spotting assistance"?
>
> I guess what I really want to know is the definition of exactly what
> spotting assistance is.
>
> My original question of whether skeds are ok, before AND after a
> contest, has not been addressed.  I'm guessing it's ok, since I heard
> many stations on 6m ask if the other had 2m or 440, etc.  But if it is
> ok, IMHO the definition needs to be made clear.  Don't forget, I'm a
> contest newbie here.
>
> 73 de W4AS
> Sebastian
>
> On Jun 19, 2008, at 7:08 AM, David Olean wrote:
>
>> Hello Sebastian,
>> I made no contacts above 432 this time around in June, but usually
>> can make 50-75 Qs on 1.2 CW and SSB from my location in SW Maine.
>> The way we all do it is to work someone on either six or two and run
>> them up the bands. The six and two ops ask each station worked if
>> they have higher bands and proceed from there.  Single op stations
>> do likewise.
>>   Before the limited multi category was established, there was
>> enough random  activity on 1296 so that the guy running that station
>> called CQ periodically, and got answers. There were "activity hours"
>> for each band. The limited multi rules caused a big drop in stations
>> active on 1296. That, combined with computer logging, enabled more
>> efficient running up the higher bands (at least for multi op
>> stations) The result today is that there are almost no random
>> contacts on the bands above 432 here. They are all sent up after
>> working them on a lower frequency.
>>
>> 73
>> Dave K1WHS
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sebastian" <w4as at bellsouth.net>
>> To: "VHF Contesting Reflector" <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
>> Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 9:34 PM
>> Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] Post-Contest Grid Square Queries
>>
>>
>>> First, I admit I'm a newbie when it come to contests of any kind.  As
>>> I've mentioned before, this was the first contest I have ever
>>> seriously participated in.   I didn't go in there planning to win
>>> anything, just to have fun and work as many stations as possible.  If
>>> I win something, great, if not; I won't be disappointed.  I already
>>> got the fun out of it that I wanted.  My 2 meter & 440 rotor wouldn't
>>> cooperate so I wasn't able to use those bands.
>>>
>>> Now on to the purpose of this email:
>>>
>>> 2.1.3. Use of spotting assistance or nets (operating arrangements
>>> involving other individuals, DX-alerting nets, packet, etc) is not
>>> permitted.
>>>
>>> I'm not a lawyer.  I think the above sentence is very clear. No
>>> outside assistance or arrangements are to be used to work other
>>> stations.
>>>
>>> My conscience is clear, but I must admit that I didn't dwell on this
>>> rule during the contest.  I didn't feel a need to use DX Sherlock, or
>>> even the DX clusters, because there was already a lot of activity on
>>> the band.  But those stations that claim dozens of contacts on 1.2
>>> GHz
>>> and above; you can't expect anyone to believe that those stations
>>> just
>>> happened to be on there listening for you.  Now if those contacts
>>> were
>>> arranged prior to the contest, does that make them 'legal'?
>>>
>>>
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