On a more serious note ... Hotline, I won't disagree. We need to select the method to suit the environment. The issue the OP is facing is that the environment changes, so he must change method to match. The only question is whether he can do it without a splice placed exactly at the point where the environment changes.
If I can summarize it, your position is that there must be a change in method at that exact point; mine is that the OP has five feet of leeway.
