[VHFcontesting] [Packrats] Why a rule discriminating against portable stations?

[James Duffey]

I don’t know the answer to your question, but the VHF rules have kind of grown in a patchwork fashion over the years, so there are a some rules that don’t make sense now when taken in the whole. I don’t think it is a deliberate effort to discriminate against you and your portable operation. The most effective way to deal with this issue is to express your concerns with the ARRL Contest Advisory Committee member representing you, and perhaps to the CAC committee chair. 

One thing I do know is that the log checkers do not like to deal with the entry by the rover and a fixed single op entry from the same operator using the same call. Many entrants do not log the /r and the log checkers have to figure out which QSOs belong to the rover and which to the fixed operation and that can be a real can of worms. It is not always clear which is which. So, I suspect that the inclination would be to get rid of the double entry provision for rovers rather than to add one for the portable stations. - Duffey KK6MC sometimes KK6MC/r

KK6MC
James Duffey
Cedar Crest NM
jamesduffey at comcast.net


> On Jun 16, 2023, at 10:43, <alex at kr1st.com> <alex at kr1st.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi there,
>  
> Can someone provide an explanation why the ARRL June VHF contesting rules discriminate against portable operations, and only on VHF? This is the rule I’m referring to:
>  
> “COND.2 Multiple entries COND.2.1 In VHF+ contests: Individuals and stations are limited to one entry per contest. Rover operators may submit one separate entry as a Single Operator (fixed station) in addition to their rover entry.”
>  
> During this past June VHF contest, I operated from home as KR1ST, and I operated a portable station (100% separate hardware) as KR1ST/P from a different location. It turns out that after I submitted my home KR1ST log, it gets overwritten by the KR1ST/P entry I submitted later. I assume that is because of the rule I quoted above.
>  
> What I’m curious about is, how is it justified that if someone goes to a mountaintop to operate as portable station they may not also operate from their permanent station, while it is perfectly fine for a rover station to do so? And why does this rule only apply to VHF? What would be the harm to allow for a portable station to also allow for an entry from their permanent station, just like rovers? 
>  
> I would think that in the spirit of Amateur Radio we should be as permissive as possible when it comes to operating practices in order to generate maximum activity.
>  
> 73,
> --Alex KR1ST
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