Dave --
Many thanks for your follow-up message. I did not take any of
your original comments as being unreasonable; it is, indeed,
interesting to know what the ARRL might think about the use of a
new mode in League-sponsored VHF contests. And it's useful to
have some discussion of it on reflectors such as this one, too --
since to a very considerable extent the "League opinion" is and
should be a reflection of the views of us all!
Rule 3.10 in the "General Rules for All ARRL Contests" reads as
follows:
"The use of non-Amateur Radio means of communication (for
example, Internet or telephone) to solicit a contact (or
contacts) during the contest period is not permitted."
To me, that means you must make your skeds before the contest
starts, or perhaps via ham radio on another band during the
contest. Seems clear enough.
Rule 2.1.3 in "General Rules for ARRL Contests on Bands above 50
MHz" states that for Single Operator stations, "Use of spotting
assistance or nets (operating arrangements involving other
individuals, DX-alerting nets, packet, etc.) is not permitted."
Once again: whatever skeds, etc., you want to make, using the
internet, do it before the contest -- and disconnect yourself
from the net when the contest begins!
As for so-called QSOs in which *any* of the required information
for a QSO is exchanged or hinted at on a chat page, etc., during
the contact, forget it. That's no QSO!
Operators who are experienced in HSMS techniques, either HSCW or
more recently with WSJT, generally know the rules, follow them
carefully, and have been helpfully advising newcomers "don't chat
while we run, it will invalidate the QSO", or similar words.
As for your shack with few amenities: with the above rules in
mind, WSJT should work just fine for you during contests. We've
done HSCW from the PackRats June VHF QSO Party mountaintop
location, and I expect we'll use WSJT next June. Of course we
have no internet there. Without really trying very hard, we've
worked 4-5 extra 2m grids that way in each of the last couple of
years, using the wee hours of the morning when other activity is
minimal. With WSJT, that number could easily be doubled, or
tripled, because QSOs can often be completed in 15 minutes
instead of taking half an hour or more.
Finally, about the possibillity of "the whole bottom of the 144
band being filled with blips and burps and see[ing] ssb and cw
activity drop even more at the same time." That would not be
good, I agree. The Europeans, with their higher population
density and higher levels of VHF activity, have I believe more or
less decided on a band plan that would put WSJT use up around
144.370. This does not seem unreasonable to me for North
America, as well, although heavy use of 144.100 through 144.150
for WSJT over the past couple of months has caused almost no
problems, as far as I am aware. That, of course, has been under
non-contest conditions.
See you on the air next weekend!
-- 73, Joe, K1JT
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