[VHFcontesting] Internet assistance

[Marshall-K5QE]

Hello to everyone after the contest.....I have just gotten my "head 
above water" after the Jan VHF contest.  I am still beat down, but I am 
trying to get some rest.

What Jay has so beautifully said below is exactly what I think that we 
need to be working towards.  Whenever we get the chance, we need to 
recommend to our League officials that the VHF contest rules need to be 
very similar to what CQ has adopted.  Maybe if they see that the CQ 
contest is MUCH better for its new rules, we can get some movement in 
the ARRL.

Jay's comments about the rovers is terribly important.  The greatest 
complaint from the rovers that I hear is that they drive out to some 
horribly remote place, set up, and can't attract anyone's attention.  
They make a QSO or two(often NONE!!) and then have to move on.  Rovers 
should be able to announce, "We are here!!!  Come work us".  There is no 
contact information in such a post and other stations still have to 
actually work the rover in order to get any contest points.  Yes, such 
posts need to be limited, but some structure for such a post can surely 
be found.

I hope everyone did well in the contest.

73 Marshall K5QE

On 1/23/2013 12:07 PM, Keith Morehouse wrote:
> I admit to having been (and still am in some respects) one of those 'HF
> contesters" Marshall loves to abuse.  I also understand the push to keep a
> "pure" single op category where it's man against man with no machine
> assistance.  I think that is fine for HF contests and would not support any
> attempt to allow machine assistance there.
>
> I also do NOT support unlimited use of spotting nets or the ability to self
> spot for single operators in VHF contests.  The key word in that last
> sentence is UNLIMITED.  What I do support (and urge the ARRL to implement)
> is the LIMITED ability to self spot when a single operator is engaged in
> activities that are, by nature, not readily detectable and not subject to
> normal terrestrial propagation.  Even then, I only support self spotting
> that is a basic indicator of such activity.
>
> CQ Magazines VHF contest in July has exactly the kind of rule I support.  A
> limited ability to self spot when one is engaged in digital meteor scatter
> or digital EME (i.e WSJT).  No QSO information is being exchanged and no
> "conversation" is taking place that could invalidate the contact.  It is
> simply a "Hello, I am on this frequency attempting to work stations using
> very difficult and random methods.  Please listen for me."
>
> I might also support this type of self spotting for Rover stations if the
> actual format of such a spot was carefully defined, controlled and enforced.
>
> Jay W9RM
>
> Keith J Morehouse
> Managing Partner
> Calmesa Partners G.P.
> Montrose, CO
>
>
> On Wed, Jan 23, 2013 at 11:43 AM, John D'Ausilio <jdausilio at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>>
>> Honestly I can't see any reason why everyone shouldn't be allowed to
>> self-spot in VHF and up tests .. we're looking to make weak signal
>> contacts over hard-to-predict paths with rapidly changing conditions,
>> why wouldn't we want to do everything we can to maximize the chance of
>> success?
>>
> _______________________________________________
> VHFcontesting mailing list
> VHFcontesting at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
>