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Re: [CQ-Contest] Need for Rules and Enforcement Governing Commercial Ent

To: cq-contest@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Need for Rules and Enforcement Governing Commercial Entities Competing in Amateur Radio Contests
From: Paul O'Kane <pokane@ei5di.com>
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2020 19:51:02 +0000
List-post: <mailto:cq-contest@contesting.com>

On 15/03/2020 16:36, donovanf@starpower.net W3LPL wrote:

> If you're passionate about the future of amateur radio contesting -- as I know
> you are -- this is an excellent time to contact your ARRL Director and
> your CAC member and to energize your contest club in helping sustain
> the competitiveness of amateur contesters in an environment where
> we find increasing participation by commercial for-profit entities.

As W3LPL says, in some respects the "amateur" went out of amateur radio almost 100 years ago.  It appears to have continued to this day.

How can there be fairness in contesting when relevant contest rules are imprecise or non-existent?  At present, contesting is largely unregulated, and there will always be others with more money, more time, more resources, more real estate, quieter/higher/better locations to take advantage of the lack or regulation.  With appropriate rules, commercial for-profit entities would be subject to the same constraints as everyone else.

We have limits on power, but on little else.  There are generally -

   no limits on antennas, whether transmitting or receiving - in terms of size, numbers (by band), elements, or height
   no limits on expenditure
   no practical limits on station size (and remote operation, over any distance, seems to be accepted)    no limits on amplifiers - it must be nice to have dedicated amps for each band
   no limits on the number (or locations) of operators, whether MS or MM
   no limits on the number of receivers, even for SO, - including those with separate panadaptors for each band    few practical limits on integration with, or dependence on, non-amateur communications modes and communications technologies

It seems to me that the necessary and timely regulation and drafting of rules will be beyond the capabilities of ARRL and its committees.  I could be wrong.  Perhaps it's something the WWROF might address?  https://wwrof.org/    And, if not WWROF, who?

From its website:

"... no organization exists that is focused on radio operating across all bands and modes.

Until now, many of the elements of modern radio contest operating such as log-checking software, log-submission robots, etc., have been developed and supported by volunteers. Many of the enhancements envisioned for the future will involve considerable expense, and no organization exists to support them.

The *World Wide Radio Operators Foundation* was created to fill that need."

73,
Paul EI5DI



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