This was passed along by WB2AIV...In this writers opinion doesn't go far enough. FT8 and its ilk isn't ham radio and it cheapens the hobby and made the pursuit of DXCC a Joke. What took many many months or years of hunting and searching for that rare one is now reduced to days and we all knew of stations being on the air 24/ 7 was just around the corner. If I wanted my computer to work your computer, I will send an email or a chat request, but calling it Ham radio is just deluding yourself.........Oh its a wonderful mode...you get to turn the volume down and just watch the screen...without ever hearing that there was a CW qso going on....If you want to work your so called fox and hound Dx GET IT UP INTO THE DIGITAL SUB-BAND and not in the CW portion of the band...Get it above .070....for fucksake...OPEN YOUR FRIGGIN EARS before you transmit!
The following information was forwarded, apparently from a Facebook posting. I "ASSUME" the ARRL Contest and Awards (DXCC and others) Branches will be issuing clarifications in their respective rules.
Contact for ARRL contests or awards "MUST include contemporaneous DIRECT initiation of the contact by the operator on BOTH sides of the contact. Initiation of a contact may be either local or by remote."
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Earlier today, Hudson Division Director Ria, N2RJ posted the following to the Hudson Div. Facebook group. Quoted in its entirety.
"A bit more about the decision by ARRL to disallow fully automated contacts. This was passed at the July board meeting and takes effect immediately.
What is allowed:
Operator initiated contacts on any digital mode. Operator initiated means that a human operator initiates a CQ call or answers a call. Once the contact is completed, operator must initiate another if they so choose.
Auto sequence is allowed - you initiate the contact, auto sequence sees it through, ends the contact. It is not allowed for any sort of automation to automatically start another contact.
WHAT is NOT allowed:
Operator sets up fully automated QSOs that automatically answer and CQ again without human intervention. This is possible with external software to control WSJT-X, modified versions of WSJT-X and third party programs that use the WSJT decoding algorithms but offer fully automatic operation.
WHY we made this change:
Several members have contacted us saying that some stations are on the air 24x7 for months at a time. Joe Taylor himself expressed concern about this to me personally. So it was decided that we would address this.
What this affects:
All ARRL contests, ARRL awards starting with DXCC but other awards will have the rules adjusted.
What this does NOT affect:
Regular operation not claimed for DX or contest credit, such as WSPR beacons, Pactor/WinLink, Packet radio or AREDN.
Enforcement:
This is on the honor system primarily, but if you are caught cheating, you will be dealt with, contacts disallowed and possibly awards revoked if you continue breaking the rules and cheating. It's fairly obvious that there are some stations who are operating fully automated."
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The Board action referred to was listed on the ARRL site in the minutes from the July, 2019, meeting of the Board of Directors:
AGENDA & MINUTES – 2019 SECOND MEETING ARRL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
July 19-20, 2019
Minute 33
Returning to further recommendations from the Programs and Services Committee, Mr. Sarratt moved, seconded by Mr. Norris, that WHEREAS, there has been a growing concern over fully automated contacts being made and claimed for contest credit;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, on the recommendation of the Programs and Services Committee, the Board directs that the rules for ARRL contests – both HF and VHF/UHF – be revised to include the requirement that each claimed contact must include contemporaneous direct initiation by the operator on both sides of the contact. Initiation of a contact may be either locally or by remote.
After discussion the motion was ADOPTED by voice vote.
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