[VHFcontesting] "highly undesireable practices"

[John Godwin <k5iua@earthlink.net>]

The MSC/PSC has determined that grid circling and or captive rovers are 
"highly undesirable practices". How can that be when for years rule 
number one has been "1. Object: To work as many amateur stations in as 
many different 2 degrees × 1 degree grid squares as possible using 
authorized frequencies above 50 MHz."? Even in what is believed by some 
to be worst case scenarios involving captive rovers and grid circlers 
the "Object" of the contest has been met. With the captive rover at 
least one station has been added to the mix and the home/owner station 
is trying to work as many amateur stations in as many different grid 
squares as possible. With the grid circlers the rovers are trying to 
work as many amateur stations in as many different grids as possible.

What makes grid circling and captive rovers "highly undesirable 
practices"? I suspect that once the MSC/PSC has answered that question 
we can all understand why the reason for the proposed rules changes. I 
for one do not understand what makes  grid circling and captive rovers 
undesirable. The MSC/PSC has finally come to its senses in at least one 
aspect. They realized that the changing of the rover scoring rules to 
what they are today had some distinct effects. One was that it penalized 
the rovers that did not rove in high density areas and because of that 
some rovers quit. It did not 'solve' the so called problem of grid 
circling which at the time was my understanding of the reasoning for the 
changing of the rover scoring rules.

As long as the MSC/PSC states that following the rules as written 
results in "highly undesirable practices" and not explaining why they 
are undesirable the issue will never come to a resolution.

What I feel is needed is a statement from the MSC/PSC to those that feel 
because of captive rovers and grid circling they are being discriminated 
against in their chances of winning a competition is not so. Follow the 
rules and stated object of the contest  and you too have a chance of 
winning a contest no matter whomever or wherever you are in the country. 
If it takes the use of captive rovers and/or grid circling to win (which 
happens to comply with the stated object of the contest) so be it.

If you do not interpret the stated object of the contest as I do then 
address that issue. Not the smoke screen of someone using rules as 
written to be highly undesirable practices. Once the object of the 
contests has been redefined, the question as to whether captive rovers 
and grid circlers are undesirable could be addressed but only if the 
object of the contests was 'not to work as many amateur stations in as 
many grids as possible'. So far all of the proposals I have seen from 
folk's that do not like captive rovers and grid circlers do not address 
the object of the contest. If a proposal to limit captive rovers or grid 
circling does not meet the object of the contest as is written then the 
proposal has little or no merit. Even if it comes from the MSC/PSC.

Finally. I am one of those that quit ARRL sponsored VHF contests. The 
reasons I quit are many and varied. Some of them are.
1. The MSC did not follow the recommendation of the CAC in regards to 
the original rover scoring rules change
2. The MSC decided to change the rules that originally allowed a single 
operator station to have more than one signal at a time as long as the 
signals were on different bands.
3. The MSC succumbed to special interest groups and changed the rules so 
that those complaining groups would not have to change their operating 
techniques to be competitive.
4. Little or no continuity in interpretation of the rules from one 
contest branch manager to the next.
5. The fact that the rules can have such a different interpretation from 
one contester to the next.
6. Elimination of line scores from QST.
7. What I feel is a general antipathy of the ARRL towards VHF'ers.

Folk's I got fed up with trying to win an ARRL sponsored VHF contest 
knowing that what is considered legal in this years contest might not be 
in next years.  Will I ever get back to ARRL sponsored VHF contesting. 
Maybe I will but only if the MSC/PSC quits pandering to special interest 
groups and no subjective interpretation of the rules will be employed 
from year to year.

John   K5IUA










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