K5TED, I like the description you gave. This raises a good point on which I am confused, and I would appreciate your clarification (and others as well).
If you will allow me to use you and me in an example to help me understand and learn....
Let us say you have a rocking, DX chasing ham shack. TH11DX or one of those huge OptiBeam monsters on a 200 foot tower. Then we get the word that OH2BH, Martti is headed back to Scarborough Reef for one last DXpedition before retiring.
No way am I going to work BS7H with my dipole and 100 watts with the pileup. So I ask you (oh please oh please) may I come over to your shack to work "the reef?" Say you do know me, we had some 807's at Dayton last year. And I tell you I'll repay the favor...I'll pay for the replacement ring rotor for your 40 meter yagi at 100 feet on that tower since it burned out in September. I NEED BS7H for Honor Roll. You say sure, not needed to replace the ring rotor. I insist, because without your generosity I am not getting BS7H. (The scenario here is that I am exchanging something of value for the access to airtime from your QTH)
QUESTIONS: How do I sign when calling BS7H while sitting in your shack? Can I just use my callsign? Do I need to do the full "control operator" ID thing? Is this legal, exchanging something of value for access to airtime from your shack?
Now let us extrapolate. I am in NC, and it is not practical to travel to your QTH in San Antonio. But you say "hey, I can do an internet setup and let you work him from wherever you are" I say "Actually, I will be on the road and staying in a hotel in the evenings, to this is AWESOME." You say "No problem." I still insist on replacing your ring rotor, because I want BS7H REALLY BAD. (The scenario again is that I am exchanging something of value for the access to airtime from your QTH, but I am accessing it remotely)
QUESTIONS: How do I sign when calling BS7H while sitting in your shack? Can I just use my callsign? Do I need to do the full "control operator" ID thing? Is this legal, exchanging something of value for access to airtime from your shack and accessig it remotely?
------------------------ PART 97--AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE--Station Operation Standards Sec. 97.119 Station identification.
All Stations: (a) Each amateur station, ..., must transmit its assigned call sign on its transmitting channel at the end of each communication, and at least every 10 minutes during a communication, for the purpose of clearly making the source of the transmissions from the station known to those receiving the transmissions.
Let's consider the relationship of "end of each communication" and "during a communication" and "the source of the transmissions ". Also, let's stay within the assumption the control point and transmitter site are located in the U.S., under FCC authority.
I interpret a "communication" to be an exchange between two or more stations. I interpret "the source of the transmissions" to be the station transmitter. If I am the control operator of a station transmitter, then I give my callsign and the location of the transmitter, not the control point. In other words, I wouldn't state, "K5TED in Texas, operating remotely through K5TED transmitter in Nebraska". It would simply be, "K5TED Remote, Nebraska". If someone wants to know where the control point is, they can ask.
Why did I use my callsign to define the transmitter licensee? It could be because the transmitter is located at my uncle's ranch in Nebraska. The transmitter site could actually be owned, lock stock and barrel, by my uncle, who might not even hold an amateur license. As long as he himself is not transmitting, everything is good and to the letter of the law. In fact, Uncle SI may not have ever even touched any of the equipment himself. Or he may have actually thrown the breaker to power up the shack. He could have contracted the entire station to be built by a third party commercial radio dealer, and may even have a service agreement with them to come on site as needed to do tower or transmitter maintenance. BUT...When I dial in and take control, it is MY station. Uncle Si can't turn it over to me, because he is not a ham. When I am not in control, it ceases to be a station. It is just a pile of equipment.
Now.... What if he isn't my Uncle. Or what if he is, but he charges me for electricity. What if he charges me a rental fee for the equipment. Does this change anything with respect to Part 97?
As far as donating time and equipment to a fellow ham, that's a given. I would expect the beneficiary to welcome the use of his station.
In my humble opinion, the use of "Airtime" to describe amateur radio communications in the context of this discussion is sort of inflammatory, and exists in solely as a red herring to distract from the real issues.
"Airtime" is a service provided as a vehicle for self promotion with a pecuniary interest. Even PSA's are counted as having some intrinsic value and are duly considered at license renewal time in the broadcast world. Casual or contest ham radio communications have no intrinsic monetary value to anyone besides radio manufacturers.
That's my take...
The FCC has stated that Internet remote is no different than using a very long mike cable, as far as they are concerned. The same rules apply.
What doesn't seem right to me in either senario is that you could operate the station using your call sign and take DXCC credit for working BS7H. What station location would you use on the QSL card? The remote station location or the location of your hotel room.
How about the situation where you use a 2M ht to repeater to Internet link to a DX 2M repeater and work a nearby station. Are you able to claim a 2M DX contact for DXCC credit?
You answered the DXCC question later on down the thread. If DXCC states the control point and station must be within the same entity, then that is the final answer. It doesn't change anything relative to station operation under FCC rules, but does recognize the need to follow contest rules in order to be considered eligible for specific awards. That brings up the point that if contest organizers want to stop this remote contesting in it's tracks, all they have to do is adopt the same rules as DXCC, and maybe take it further, stating that control points and stations must be local.
As for the 2m DX question, since DX by definition is based upon stations being separated by a specific delineator, that being political boundaries for the most part, it brings up the scenario where a ham is operating a 2m repeater in his own town, and communicating across the border to Canada, a scant 5 miles away. That technically is DX for some certificate purposes. Is he eligible for DX award point? What is the exact definition of DX in contests?
As long as he resides in the same entity as the repeater, and the DX station is indeed in another entity, it is a valid DX contact, in theory. It may not be eligible for points, however, unless the contest rules allow for repeater contacts.
Your question is more to the point that an operator uses a remote connection to a repeater that is local to the DX entity. In that case, no, he is absolutely not eligible for any DX trophy, since his "long mic cord" makes him directly connected to the transceiver that is local, not DX, to the station he contacted.