[PaQSO] "off the wall" question

[Hal Offutt]

Cliff Bell wrote:

>     Does MOBILE mean on the road with WHEELS TURNING or just because you
> have all of your equipment in your Mobil as one post to this group stated
?
> One portable station claimed to be MOBIL because of the fact that he
> operated from his car even though he never moved from one spot. HOW DO
SOME
> PEOPLE GET THESE IDEAS FROM READING THE RULES ? ?

Cliff,

I don't see the problem.  If a station is using a true mobile setup
(everything in the car, mobile antennas, car power, nothing external to the
car) then it's mobile, whether or not he chooses to move.  If this sounds
like a portable operation to you, keep in mind that if the mobile chooses
not to move, he (or she) is not likely to have a very big score because
mobile signals are weak and can't begin to compete with home stations or
portables (stations that can put up high antennas in trees or even beams on
towers and can use generators or AC power).  If someone wants to go out and
spend the weekend in their non-moving mobile station, they're not taking
advantage of the big advantage that a mobile has (starting over in every new
county) but they're certainly not doing anyone any harm.  (And if they do
this from a rare county, they're doing a lot of folks a big favor.)

73,

Hal W1NN