[VHFcontesting] "Handing Out" radio rules/ethics

[Tom Holmes, N8ZM]

 I admit to not taking time to look it up, but isn't there also a rule about
minimum distance for a contact to be valid?

Too bad there aren't any HT's with SSB capability to really show what it's
like.

The idea of giving folks a chance to be involved is a great one, but maybe
Field Day is a better venue for doing this.



Regards,

Tom Holmes, N8ZM
Tipp City, OH
EM79xx
-----Original Message-----
From: vhfcontesting-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:vhfcontesting-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Les Rayburn
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 3:10 PM
To: VHF Contesting Reflector
Subject: [VHFcontesting] "Handing Out" radio rules/ethics

During my first ever rover trip, I was approached by local hams at three of
the four stops that I made, including one that was pretty remote. In all
cases, they recognized the loop Yagi's & microwave dishes as being a VHF/UHF
rover and stopped to observe, ask questions, etc. 

I try never to miss a chance to recruit new VHF operators, so I tried to
spend some time with each. I always asked if they had a mobile rig or HT
with them. One did, but no antenna along. The others had no equipment with
them. (Am I the only ham who things this is just plain wrong?) 

After the contest, I started thinking about the experience. It occurred to
me that I had a perfectly good Kenwood TH-F6A in the truck that puts out
five watts on 2, 440, and 222. Would it have been legal and/or ethical to
simply "hand" them the radio and invite them to participate in the contest
by working me on the spot? Carrying that logic one step further, what if I
carried a 900mhz Kenwood HT converted to ham frequencies, or one of those
new Alinco HT's with 1.2ghz FM? Or even better a Kenwood VX-8R which has 6M,
2M, 440, and 222. 

Instead of those hams being somewhat of a handicap (wasting valuable
operating time answering questions) they could have been points in the
contest. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has thought of this, so forgive
me if I'm wasting bandwidth rehashing old ground. 

As always, I appreciate the advice from the masters. 

73,

Les Rayburn, N1LF
EM63nf
121 Mayfair Park
Maylene, AL 35114
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