[Rover] Rovers: New ARRL VHF Contest Rules Posted

[Ev Tupis]

http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/rules-vhf.html

2.3 -- Now separates the role of "Operator" and "Driver", and a new term called "Observer".  You may have a total of two "Operators" and any number of "Drivers" that can be "switched out" and an unlimited number of "Observers".

W2EV Comment: Bravo! This is a clarification of items that were previously ambiguous.

"2.3.7. Rovers are permitted to use APRS. Rovers using APRS transmit only
their call sign and position. Any multi-op station may access rover APRS
data directly or via the Internet."

W2EV Comment: Rovers may now use both "Assistance" (APRS uses digipeaters) and non-Amateur means of communication (APRS uses Internet) to beacon (TX only) their presence and location.  Multi-op stations may exploit non-Amateur means of communication (APRS uses Internet) to gather information.  Single operators have no further privileges.  This is poorly thought through, in my opinion.

"2.3.8. A rover may not make more than 100 QSOs with  any other one rover."

W2EV Comment: Whatever. :)  It's their contest...but at least the rule is unambiguous to me.

"2.4. Limited Rover. Same as the “Rover” class above, but competes with
no more than any four bands of their own choosing. Output power limits
shall be the same as those defined for the Single Operator Low Power
category (2.1.1)"

W2EV Comment: I just got a mailing from the ARRL, soliciting money for the spectrum defense fund.  Now, people will be encouraged to use even less spectrum and with lower power during the very events that are used by industry to show that we aren't using what we have.  "LIMITED" should be by number of operators NOT by bands of activity and power level.  The Leagues "left hand" isn't "talking to the right hand".

"2.5. Unlimited Rover. Same as “Rover” class above, but Unlimited Rovers
may use more than two operators and are exempt from rules 2.3.3 and
2.3.8."

NOTE: "2.3.3.Rover vehicles must transport
all the equipment, power supplies, and antennas used at each operating site."

W2EV Comment: Bravo (with a "head scratch"), Multi-op Rover is good for our hobby (but it should be called "Multi-op Rover").  Even so, I'm dumbfounded as to what is driving the 2.3.3 exemption.






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