[VHFcontesting] Rules question (not anything to do with the usual problems)

[James Duffey]

Here is my understanding of the rules:

When the rules say that rovers may use APRS they mean that they can transmit an APRS signal giving their location and call. With the exception of the unlimited rover class, rovers may not log on to the internet to obtain the APRS information. As most rovers do no have access to the internet when they rove, this is largely moot, but with wider availability of 3G and the internet over cell phones, this is changing. 

Multi-op stations and the unlimited rovers can use the APRS information available in the internet to find the rover's locations that they broadcast with APRS. Other classes may not. All classes may use the over the air APRS signal to locate rovers.

Now my obligatory rant on the subject. I haven't posted on the subject in a while, so it should be OK.

The VUAC recommended to the ARRL BOD that rules be implemented so that the APRS information available on the internet could be used by all classes, not just multi-ops, but when that rule change was passed from the BOD to the Program and Services Committee (PSC), which have the final say in such matters, the PSC rejected the original VUAC recommendation and implemented a version in which only the nulti-op class can use this information.

Other than begging the question of what is the utility of appointing committees to make recommendations and then rejecting those recommendations, I think that not allowing everyone to use APRS has a negative impact on rovers, particularly in areas of the country with sparse VHF activity, which is nearly everywhere east of the 100th parallel. 

Write, e-mail, and call the usual suspects urging that all classes of ops in VHF contests be allowed to obtain and use APRS data from rovers on the internet: your ARRL Division Director, your ARRL Division Vice Director,  your ARRL representative on the VUAC, your representative on the Contest Advisory committee, the chairmen of these committees, and the PSC committee chair. These are the people who can bring about a change. 

Obligatory rant on the subject off.

The restriction on only broadcasting one signal per band is not too bad, one can interlock the APRS transmitter with the main transmitter so that when the main transmitter is broadcasting, the APRS is not. ONe can even turn off the APRS when stationary, or for relatively long times even when moving as the last position received is posted for some time even after new data has not been received. 

This is not a life or death issue, but it is an important one that could improve your score and the rover's scores, not to mention making time spent at the operating desk  in a VHF contest more productive. - Duffey
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KK6MC
James Duffey
Cedar Crest NM