[VHFcontesting] CQ VHF & "Self Spotting"

[Les Rayburn]

Like many things in radio contesting, I'm somewhat confused now by the rule.

Let's look again at my example. I call CQ on 50.145 and J.D. answers my 
call. (Stop laughing guys. It could happen. My signal  isn't that weak!)
I then post the contact on the DX Map and the 50 MHz reflector.

So now any station that wishes to try for either J.D. or myself could 
tune to 50.150, swing the beams in my direction, and listen for my call. 
They know the frequency, grid square, and station callsign. Now granted, 
it may be "my" run frequency, so if someone was looking to work N0IRS, 
they'd be out of luck. But if they call me, then I've directly benefited 
from a spot that I posted.

How exactly does that differ from "self spotting"?

Do any of the people who write these rules actually operate VHF? The 
entire history of these bands is filled with guys who labored for 
months, sometimes years to work each other. Almost always on a schedule, 
where both sides knew who was calling, what direction to point the 
beams, etc. Guess what--it still took forever to work each other.

Come to think of it, there are two teams trying to bridge the Atlantic 
by terrestrial propagation on 2 Meters as we speak. Strangely enough, no 
one is claiming that trophy just yet, despite all the advance knowledge 
of who they're trying to work.

This love affair that HF guys have with "random" contacts is ill suited 
to our bands, and our contests. Unless, you enjoy the sound of white 
noise, and enjoy wearing our your rotor. I wonder how many HF contest 
operators would have the patience to endure hours of noise with ZERO 
contacts as is often the case on VHF?

Personally, I'm fed up with people who are not active on our bands 
making all the decisions with little or no input from the actual operators.



-- 
--<BR>
73,<P>

Les Rayburn, N1LF<BR>
121 Mayfair Park<BR>
Maylene, AL 35114<BR>
EM63nf<P>

6M VUCC #1712<BR>
AMSAT #38965<BR>
Grid Bandits #222<BR>
Southeastern VHF Society<BR>
Central States VHF Society Life Member<BR>
Six Club #2484<P>

Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz & Light<BR>