[VHFcontesting] Rover rules and criticisms

[Jim Forsyth]

Bruce,

No disagreement from me.

When I operate in a category other than rover I get smoked by the guys back 
east. It will always be that way because of their higher population density 
and superior propagation. Why should I be in the same category as them?

Why should a five band station be in the same category as a six band 
station?
Why should a 150 watt station be in the same category as a 180 watt station?
Why should a hill top station be in the same category as a valley station?
Why should a station that operates for 20 hours be in the same category as a 
station that operates 12 hours?
Why should a station with big antennas be in the same category as a station 
with small antennas?

Such questions are endless. Anybody can come up with reasons why they should 
not be in the same category as somebody else. Should everybody have their 
own category?

Everybody decides for themselves how they want to participate and the rules 
determine what category they can enter in. In the case of you and me the 
rules provide for us to enter in the same category. If you want to be in a 
different category to me I believe you could enter as unlimited.

I don't know about you but for me this is a hobby and I only do it because 
it is fun. I derive a great deal of enjoyment spending the occasional 
weekend roving around the Mojave Desert with some of the worlds finest VHF 
contest operators. If it wasn't fun I would find something else to do.

Jim, AF6O

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Bruce Richardson" <w9fz at w9fz.com>
Sent: Friday, September 18, 2009 9:14 PM
To: <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] Rover rules and criticisms

>
>> Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:35:36 -0700
>> From: "Jim Forsyth" <mail at jimforsyth.com>
>> Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] Rover rules and criticisms
>> To: <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
>> Message-ID: <A063F37B120E4E3D9966D9244D1C3854 at QUADCORE>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed;
> charset="iso-8859-1";
>> reply-type=original
>>
>> Well I think the 100Q rover to rover limit is counter
>> productive, I would
>> like to see that gone.
>>
>> I had a great time pack roving in the August and September
>
>> contests. In
>> September we had a pack of nine ten band rovers and
> visited
>> eleven grids.
>> You can see some pictures here: http://www.packrovers.com
>>
>> Jim, AF6O
>
> My question is posed to Jim, but any of you are free to
> supply an answer. I went to the packroving website. You guys
> have been smoking me score wise ever since you started.
> Pack roving HAS to consist of MANY trivial distance QSOs.
> And it has to consist of orchestrated activity.  Would you
> disagree?
>
> If you'll visit http://w9fz.com/ham/w9fzuhf09.html
> You'll see the path lengths that I worked in the UHF contest
> back in August.  None of the rover-to-rover Q's were trivial
> distance and none of them were orchestrated.  I have an
> opinion as to what type of ham radio activity (pack roving
> vs non-pack roving) is better for the future of our hobby,
> but that's not what we are discussing here.
>
> So my final question is how and why should we be in the same
> Rover category and competing against each other?  Pack
> roving behavior will ALWAYS smoke the rover behavior I
> display.  Please don't give me, "it's a contest do what you
> have to do to win". I don't want to pack rove. I don't want
> to legislate against your fun but pack roving seems like
> "group self-gratification in public". Knock yourself out and
> self-gratify yourselves but let's not call it a competition.
>
> I think AA5JG's original question is well posed.
>
> I'm working on graphics of my KS and NE rove (Sept VHF).
> Sure I went there to rove, but I didn't "group
> self-gratify". I worked lots of rover-to-rover Q's over
> non-trivial distances and without any orchestration.
>
> I still think the rover rules are broken when "group
> self-gratification" beats traditional roving every time.  I
> don't mind getting beaten by W9SNR/R in the Sept contest
> just passed. He got 90k points because he was in the
> "opening". I wasn't in the opening, worked my butt off and
> got 71k. I'm happy with that.
>
> 73
> Bruce Richardson W9FZ/R
>
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