[VHFcontesting] Operating both from home and as a rover

[Patrick Thomas]

My _recollection_ is that, in the present era, rover stations are treated as a fully separate station.  Also this seems to be corroborated by previous discussion here on the list, from May 20, 2015, which nobody seems to have disputed: 
    Yes, you can operate both a rover station and a fixed station from the same 
    "home" grid, as long as the equipment and antennas are separate for both 
    stations. The rover must operate from at least 2 grids. I have done this for 
    many contests to give the locals a few extra points from the home station. I 
    send in both station scores separately. Rick, K1DS

Rule 7.2 says that "stations may be worked for credit only once per band from any given grid square, regardless of mode" but if the home station and rover station are actually separate stations (different callsign-as-far-as-loggers-say, different rig, different antenna), then at least by the letter of the law there doesn't seem to be a problem.

Bear in mind that as said above (and in Rule 2.5) a rover must operate from 2 or more grid squares, so it's not like you can just operate from your home station and then operate from your "rover" station parked in the driveway.  And if you are 30 miles away from your home station when you make a rover QSO in your home grid, why not consider it as a legitimately separate QSO for both yourself and the other station??

If any ARRL contest gurus feel differently it would be good to have it clarified, though!

I've still been too lazy to repair my rove van and too broke to get a replacement so it seems I will be doing the stay-at-home version this weekend.  Good luck to everyone!

Patrick
KB8DGC


-----Original Message-----
>Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2020 16:50:05 +0000 (UTC)
>From: Steve Kavanagh <sjkavanagh1 at yahoo.ca>
>To: VHF Contesting <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
>Subject: [VHFcontesting] Operating both from home and as a rover
>
>Does anybody know whether the ARRL allows people to work someone for VHF contest credit from both their home station and as a rover in the same grid?  Or do they count this as a dupe?
>
>Rule 3.5.6 allows me to operate both from home and as a rover, but is unclear as to whether someone who makes two QSOs with me while I am in my home grid (one with VE3SMA and one with VE3SMA/R) will get credit for both.
>
>I have sent the question to the ARRL too....no clear answer yet.
>
>73,
>Steve VE3SMA
>
>