[ILQSO] comments to comments :)

[Jimk8mr at aol.com]

An outsiders opinion:
 
The "Rover" concept in state QSO parties is a good one.  PA has had  one for 
a long time, and Ohio added one this year.
 
In the past two years I have done both a rover and a mobile operation in  the 
PAQP. PA's criteria is that mobiles use "mobile" antennas, and  rovers use 
"non-mobile" antennas. I don't think this is the best way  to separate the 
categories, but that is their rule.
 
The first year we used the same call, K8MR/3 and broke out the mobile and  
rover qsos afterward.  This year we used a separate call for the rover  
operation. 

The big difference is in SSB operation. Mobile operation on SSB is  a pain.  
Only with a peak of propagation does a mobile have any real  opportunity to 
run stations. But with a 40 meter vee on a DK9SQ fiberglass mast  at 25 feet at 
the center, we could run bursts at 200+/hr on SSB.  This  year, as W3DAN/R, we 
had about 300 qsos in 2.5 hours with stops in 3  counties.
 
In OQP, we also intended the rover class as an alternative to the often  
asked for "single-op mobile" category.  I am very strongly opposed to such  a 
category. Contesting is a very intense activity, and I do not want anybody  
injured or killed because of somebody driving while distracted by  contesting. And I 
don't want lawyers coming after me or others  involved with the OQP if 
anything were to happen.  Sponsors can't stop  people who want to operate while 
driving from doing so, but they ought not  create a category where a driver is 
*forbidden* from having somebody else  drive.
 
IMHO a rover, with a very simple dipole, can be loud enough to make up  in 
higher rate and become competitive with mobiles who are on the move  but weaker. 
My experience on 40 meters is that a dipole is about  3 units louder than a 
mobile whip.  
 
Ideally a rover would be defined as a station that uses non-mobile  antennas 
at any time during the contest. There could be issues  if, say, a mobile 
station, deciding he was getting beat, decided to pull  off in the last hour and 
change into a rover.  So perhaps there might be  some sort of time limit or 
maximum number of counties allowed as a  rover.   But I think it would be a good 
addition.
 
Unfortunately IL is still rather a long drive from Cleveland!
 
Now back to getting ready for CW SS.  I'll be out roving, sort  of, in this 
one too.  I operate from each of 5 stations, including my own,  for about 4-5 
hours each.  So the rate just keeps getting better as  the contest goes on and 
new stations become harder for the rest of the  world to find.  CU from N8TR, 
AC8E, K8MR, W8AJ, and K8AZ.
 
 
73  -  Jim  K8MR