[MiQP-Mail] Rover category

[n8xx at arrl.org]

I think that the success of a rover or portable category in the Illinois QSO 
party and the Pennsylvania QSO party speaketh for itself.  How can we "show" 
that a new category will increase participation or dilute the categories if 
we don't try it? 

As for multiple counties at one time, I'm not a county hunter, but when I 
parked at a 4 county intersection in Illinois I was swamped with calls, and 
was swamped with folks wanting QSL's. Typically they'd tell me that anything 
within a 600' radius of a county line counted.  Many/most of them wanted two 
QSL's for the four counties, because some county hunter organizations only 
recognize one QSL for two counties, but that's no problemme for me. 

As I said earlier, ILQP had 22 portables, in 1, 2, 3, 4 counties and 16 or 
so folks from adjacent states in the portable, rover, or mobile competition. 
52 separate counties were activated, with 39 unique counties.  Many of the 
portables and mobiles were with in state operators, but 39 counties, most of 
which would not have been active otherwise, was a definite addition to the 
fracas.  Personally, making four "contacts" per contact was fun - even 
though I was outclassed in both 2006 and 2007 by folks who were operating 
multi-single vs my single op.  (ILQP allows only multi single no multi-multi 
 - that's their preference.) 

If you want to call portable operation "rover", I don't care.  I'd set up in 
three or four counties during the 12 hour period. 

But, I'll abide by the decision of the rules committee - but suggest that 
perhaps some additions to "spice up the pie" might be in order. 

73 de n8xx Hg 

 -------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Re: [MiQP-Mail] Rover category
Date: 	Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:18:03 -0400
From: 	Morse, Earl (E.A.) <emorse at ford.com>
To: 	<MiQP-Mail at miqp.org> 


Hank, 

Definitely talking two issues here. 

Rover category and  how close to the county line do you have to be to be in 
the county. 

The Rover category may be a viable category especially if you could show 
that it would increase activity.  I know I worked N9NE in almost every 
county he parked in last weekend.  Partly because he was in the UP where we 
had good propagation and partly because he spent more than 30 minutes in 
each county.  If you could show a half dozen rover operations that would be 
good for a couple hundred or so QSOs from each of 4 counties then  it would 
make a good case for the category.  Basically, activity begets more activity 
but adding categories just waters down the activity you already have.  I 
would look at the EOC category.  Almost every county has a Red Cross station 
or EOC station or both, however I don't think that the EOC category 
generated as much activity amongst the non-contest community as we were 
hoping.  Maybe the logs submitted will prove me wrong. 

I have a problem with multiple counties though.  You can't operate from two 
places simultaneously.  It isn't allowed by any awards programs i.e. DXCC, 
WAS and County Hunters.  Close only counts in horsehoes, hand grenades, and 
nuclear weapons but not in ham radio QTH entities.  I have worked the 
Illinois QSO party and found it silly to work one QSO for 4 multipliers.  At 
least that’s what they were implying.  I would reply with QSL, YOU ARE  59 
MI 59 MI 59 MI 59 MI and log the 4 QSOs.  Their game, their rules.  
Basically, it seemed that these stations just wanted to be a little more 
special than your run of the mill IL stations in hopes it would generate the 
pileups they needed to stroke their egos.  From what I heard from some of 
those stations, they needed a lot more practice on those pile ups too. 

Anyway, it’s the Michigan QSO party and you just can't be any more special 
than being in Michigan, whichever county/counties you are in.  Pick a 
category and make your plans to operate it as best you can. 

N8SS 

 

 


>I won't push for the rover category, because the circular reasoning that
>we don't have many of these may be a result of the fact that we don't
>have the category.  But, we'll never know until we'd allow the category
>and push it.  I have no idea of whether this would turn out to be
>popular or not.  I've scouted the four county corner point of Clare,
>Isabella, Mecosta, and Isabella, which is a very isolated area, and
>would be amenable to a fixed operation within 600' of that corner. 
>Similarly, Kent, Montcalm, and Newago, and Ionia are three county areas
>with possibilities. 
>
>Maybe we need a portable category?  The Illinois QSO party had over 20
>portable stations in 2007 in single, two, three and four county
>operation.  Some 16 operators were cited as coming from out of state to
>operate either as mobiles or portables.  Their portable category allows
>a station to set up in a single county, or at a 2, 3 or four county
>intersection.   The number of individual counties activated by these
>portable stations was 39 in 2007.  Most of these stations operated for
>the full 8 hours of their contest.  Many of the counties covered would
>not otherwise be covered by fixed stations.