I don't have a problem with a play-for-pay big-gun remote station. People can spend their money any way they wish for experiences they enjoy. And with the increasing antenna limitation/prohibition HOA situations, it's a great way for a ham living under those conditions a way to operate.
My question is when a ham uses such a remote station to qualify for operating awards and placement in contests. The operator's call sign gets the credit, not the call sign of the remote station he/she paid money to operate, and had nothing to do with its construction. I can understand if a ham wants to live in a desirable location with antenna restrictions, and constructs/owns a remote station on a separate parcel of land.
I know operating skill is a major factor in achieving results. But how hard is it for a skilled operator using legal limit into 4/4/4 beams on a 150' tower perched on the northern tip of Maine to win or place high in a major DX contest? While other skilled ops operate their own stations they constructed.
I'm just questioning pay-for-play remote stations. Not if a guy uses his call sign to operate a contest at a friend's or club station, without paying for it. And he's not normally using said station to achieve DXCC, WAZ, etc awards.
I know there's all kinds of competing scenarios and opinions. But paying to operate *amateur* radio now brings our hobby into a new *commercial* realm. Maybe it's really no different than purchasing a radio, amp, and antenna from a retail vendor

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Bob K7JQ