[MiQP-Mail] Rover category

[Hank Greeb]

Richards:

Good post.

I'll add $10 to your $50 to cover the rest of the co$t of a plaque for a 
Rover category.  I might even spring for the entire $60 for a particular 
classification, like QRP rover.

With gasoline @ $3.60 per gallon, and predicted to be much more than 
$4.00 per gallon by this time next year, I'll bet there will be more 
folks interested in driving to the area where two, three, or four 
counties meet, and setting up.  This could be either "As close as 
physically possible to the corner", as is defined by Illinois QSO Party 
tradition, if not by actual printed definition, or moving into the new 
county as is defined by by the current mobile regs for both OQP and 
MiQP. . 

 From http://www.oqp.us "ROVER: A station that operates from 
non-permanent locations in two or more counties. Use of any power 
source, including AC mains, is permitted. Operation while in motion 
between fixed sites is permitted. Rover stations that change geographic 
area (counties for Ohio stations, state or province for others) may be 
contacted again for QSO points and multiplier credit. The geographic 
area (county) must be clearly marked in the log for each qso. For 
cabrillo logs valid values are ROVER"   And, from Miscellaneous rules: 
"No station may claim simultaneous operation in more than one 
county,state, or province. A mobile or rover station must move a minimum 
of 500 feet before claiming to be in a new county, state, or province"

For MiQP the same definition holds for mobiles as for OQP applies for 
changing counties.

These definitions could be translated to Portables/Rovers as well.. 

72 de n8xx Hg

Richards wrote:
> Rover category only makes sense if you provide that a station can be 
> in only one county at any moment, and must be some reasonable, but 
> substantial distance within a county to count.   Camping on or near 
> the corners and claiming multiple counties at any moment is silly and 
> defeats the meaning of having multiple counties.  Otherwise one would 
> just camp near a 4 county corner and claim he had four counties for 
> each QSO - which I feel is illegitimate.
>
> Also, being 600 feet into County A, cannot and should not be counted 
> as being in County B - or why bother with county borders.  One should 
> be substantially within a particular county for it to count, and that 
> would eliminate the problem of claiming you are in four counties at 
> one time.
>
> I like the rover category - not much different from mobile or portable 
> except you could require it to cover some stated minimum number of 
> counties to be a "rover" as opposed to a "portable or mobile" station. 
> You would then have fixed stations, like my basement shack that does 
> not go anywhere,  plus a portable category for the field day kind of 
> temporary arrangement (a kid on a hilltop), and also a rover station 
> for those guys who manage to cruse X or more counties and who might be 
> required to stay in a particular county for a minimum time, like for 
> at least an hour, to be qualified as being in or from that county long 
> enough to count.  (Cruising through a corner of a county for a couple 
> of minutes should not be enough - one should remain in the county long 
> enough to give plenty of chances for others to pick it up for the log.)
>
> How much does it take to sponsor a prize for a category?   If limited 
> funds for prizes is an issue, maybe someone can just underwrite the 
> category and pay for the the prizes.  I got a $50 bill that says we 
> should do it.
>
> Just MY take.
>
> /////////////////  Richards - K8JHR  ////////////////