To N3PRZ & N5LRZ
Why is it ridiculous or deceiving to operate a remote controlled station? Since a lot in a contest is about propagation, what matters is the location of the actual RF source (antenna/TX) and receiver, the location of the operator is somewhat secondary. There is no competitive edge as long as the location of the RF source is clearly stated in the log and the op signs in accordance of the rules of the RF source’s location, e.g. KP4/W7ZYX
Besides, as W4YA illustrated succinctly above, what distance defines "remote" for you? Can a keyer/mic cable be 3ft but not 10ft? In the advent of SDR radios, what if I choose to run a contest from the cozy comfort and warm sunshine of my backyard deck, with the rigs in my shack and using my home LAN to connect? Is that already too remote?
It’s an interesting technical challenge per se to operate a rig and its accessory setup remotely, complete with tuners, antenna switches, rotors, amps. Having no direct physical means to e.g. reboot any stuck PC or fix any stuck switch, relay etc. Keeping all operational and being able to deal with & fix error conditions via remote during the heat of a contest is a nice feat by itself and as such well in the spirit of advancing the art of radio.
It would only become an unfair advantage if an operator were to remotely use multiple radios at different locations, e.g. have remote rigs at both coasts and switch back and forth as propagations changes over the contest and have straightforward access to both EU and AS all at once. Although, if one were to enter in a separate category similar to assisted, why not?
Thinking of it, a contest organizer could create in a SO2R/2Location category: one gets to place 2 radios at 2 locations of your choice. Strategically placing the rigs and setting up the connections is in itself a challenge, more so to keep it operating through a full contest.
After all contesting stands for having fun, excitment, competition and being able to improve my listening skills, knowledge on propagation and to operate efficiently