Remote Rules OK

[VK3ZAZ]

ARRL VOTES ON DXCC and REMOTE RULES


We would like to applaud the ARRL for "seeing the big picture" and understanding how important the role of remote technology will play in the future of our hobby. The recommended DXAC 200km limit has been completely squashed, and the ARRL went one step further. The ARRL has lifted the ban on the requirement for a operator to be in the same DXCC entity as the transmitter for his QSO's to count! This means that if you are traveling outside the U.S. or actively serving overseas in our military, you can remote into a transmitter in the U.S. and those contacts will count towards your U.S. DXCC award. Here is a paragraph from the CEO of the ARRL Dave Sumner:



"It has always been permitted for a QSO to count for both stations, if either station was operated remotely from a control point within the same DXCC entity," Sumner explained. "Now the location of the operator doesn't matter; the operator could be on the far side of the Moon if he or she could figure out how to remotely control a station on land back on Earth from there."

OPINION

Some 6M dxcc holder have been criticised for going interstate to work DXCC like Adam VK4CP/6
and VK3OT VK8 (when in fact I already had DXCC as VK3OT) and others VK4 in VK8 VK2 in VK7 VK7 in VK3 list goes on as does the b/s about the ops.
however like it or no
You can buy time on any other VK remote within our borders and work your Europeans in winter to your hearts content
or like VK6 reduce the dx between VK6 and VK east coast by having a remote in Albany or Eucla or wherever and work 2M as you wish
whatever your decision how you conduct your station.
So all those guys in low 90s salvation is at hand, it will come down to ethics and how you feel about doing it that way.

Just get it right
the erratic CW on 110 this summer from a VK who was maybe not at home
sending L instead of Z and 6 ditts for 5 and running the morse characters into each other needs to do some work on the setup.
just the messenger care less either way 100 is 100 101 is a bonus.

cheers

[VK2JDH]

Seem fair the location should always be where the RF is emanating from.

[VK2AVR]

Sounds very progressive, well done to ARRL.

As for the "ethics" of using a remote rig for an award - I don't think it's an issue, the hobby has a wide gamut of users and ham radio is what you make of it. It's not like a DXCC et al is an olympic sport or anything.. Relax

Seem fair the location should always be where the RF is emanating from.

Agreed, here you should add a portable suffix as our calls are regional by state. In USA the calls aren't regional so it doesn't matter.

[VK3MEG]

i agree as long as the remote station is in your DXCC .
why not go to broome to work some rare 6m dx if conditions allow or have a remote set up from there.

[VK3ZAZ]

It basically means goal posts no longer exist.
And the so called operator achievement award becomes a useless piece of paper.


e.g VK0 mainland to VK1 VK2 VK3 VK7 VK5 but not yet to VK6 VK4 VK8.


So if I let you use my remote to make world first QSO and then I make a second qso locally
you are 3000k away in FNQ, you say its the same achievement.
And entitles you to a dx record calculated by distance..

really?

[VK2AVR]

^^ except it's not. In the ARRL example an overseas US ham can operate a transmitter located in the US and the QSO counts towards DXCC using the ham's USA callsign. Same as if they were sitting next to the Tx. If you apply the same "sitting next to the Tx" requirement to your example then the VK4 would have to use "portable VK3" since we have regionalised callsigns. It would not be a distance record either because the station being operated is in VK3.

[VK4ABW]

Amateurs have been operating 'remote' stations for years... in reality...i can't see any difference between someone going to another state (and working 20/30 countries they would not hear at home) or setting up a remote and working the same. As long as you spot the location of the tx, then no one can whinge.

The grass is always 'greener' on the other side of the fence/state line...

de Gary
VK4ABW/1/2/3/4/8

[VK4WDM]

Innovation and adaptation is the life blood of any human endeavor. Without them you stagnate, dry up, and die. Fortunately amateur radio has always managed to introduce enough innovations and adaptations to stir up the pond and keep it alive.

Here is another example of that. Some will embrace the concept of remote stations, others will prefer the traditional ways. Who really cares? its making the contact that you consider worthwhile that really counts

73

Wayne VK4WDM

Just for the record. I made the personal choice to re-start my DXCC count when I moved from VK7 to VK4 to give myself a new challenge.