[ILQSO] comments to comments :)

[Mark]

In VHF contests, a rover can only give one grid square at a time.  If you 
were to change to a Rover Class (single op, no driver) and a Mobile Class, 
you can if you wish, make the rule for only one county at a time.   I am 
not a rover/mobile and I sure don't want to see any changes which would 
upset the mobiles now. There are the backbone of this contest, who without, 
we would be bored!

Why cant you just add a single op mobile category and keep the rules the 
same?  That does not limit someone from sitting on a county line, it just 
changes their classification.    Some people may be more motivated to go 
out by themselves with a 706 and a screwdriver and activate a few counties 
knowing they are not competing against the super mobile ops.  With a 40m 
hamstick and a radio, you could have a lot of fun in 8 hours during IQP.

As many of you are aware, there are some movements to change the VHF Rover 
rules.  As a VHF rover, I can tell you that they are talking about changing 
the rules to the point where I might not be as motivated to go out.   I'm 
sure there is some happy medium,  however the ARRL Contest Branch is 
working on a large scale contest.  For the IQP, it would be easy to poll 
the ops and discuss this in a forum like we are doing now as there are not 
as many people involved.

I hope there is a good solution to this issue.   The IQP is a great event 
and the RAMS people, and all involved, do a great job.

RAMS: I don't know how, but if I can help in anyway, I volunteer.

Mark
N9UM



At 11:49 AM 11/6/2004, Jimk8mr at aol.com wrote:

>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
>
>
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