[VHFcontesting] VHF+ Contesting Rule Changes

[James Duffey]

Thanks Ward for the clarification. To me, at least, this points out what a convoluted path ARRL contest rules changes and implementation take from inception to implementation. It is no wonder people get a bit confused during the process, particularly if it is drawn out as how this one has been. We have all seen the High School Civics posters on “How a Bill becomes Law”. It would be nice to see something similar for how a rule becomes changed or implemented in an ARRL contest. 

I still have a big concern about the new rules as there is no definition of assistance in the new rules. I suspect that the restriction in the ARRL General rules:

	• 3.14. In contests where spotting nets are permissible, spotting your own station or requesting another station to spot you is not permitted.

is the only assistance guideline that applies. So all forms of assistance appear to apply except for self spotting.  It is clear that the ARRL General Rules for ARRL Contests Above 50 MHz has not been updated to reflect assistance in the January contest. That will cause some confusion. 

Without any guidance, I suspect that most participants will assume that the most liberal application of assistance applies. If left to one’s own judgement there will be a lot of differing implementations, which will leave people competing in the same class with different rules.  

As you say, the timing of the rules changes could have been better. Not only is the lead time short, it seems to me that implementing these rules now will cause confusion with what the Ad-Hoc committee is doing, recommending, or has done. - Duffey KK6MC