[VHFcontesting] Roving in one grid ?

[James Duffey]

Joel - The problem is that there is no place for mobiles who stay in a single grid, but travel more than 500M, to enter the contest. 

They cannot enter as rovers if they stay in one grid:

2.5. Rover: A rover consists of no more than two operators that moves among two or more grid squares during the course of a contest. 

From "General Rules for Contests above 30 MHz”

And  this rule from “General Rules for all ARRL Contests”

3.7. All transmitters and receivers must be located within a 500-meter diameter circle, excluding antennas.

precludes them from entering the single op class if they travel more than 500m from their initial starting point. Some argue that the 500M circle can move with the mobile, but this is not explicit in the rule, and seems to be exactly opposite from what the rule is intended to accomplish. 

This can be fixed in several ways. It does not affect a lot of people, but it comes up often enough that it is important. And if you want to entice FM ops into VHF contesting, many who operate mobiles,  it seems like offering them a way to compete, not necessarily a new category, is important.

As you see from the discussion here, there are other secondary concerns and issues, but the above is the crux of it. 

Are you a member of the ARRL Ad Hoc Committee on Increasing Activity in VHF/UHF contests? - Duffey KK6MC
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KK6MC
James Duffey
Cedar Crest NM