(I find it interesting nobody's mentioned Ward's excellent article about
log checking - which was far easier to find than the op-ed<grin>!)
On one hand...
how many reserved segments can we handle before every piece of the band
is called for and the whole thing is a contest-free zone? There has
been an explosion in arranged nets and schedules. And along with that,
an increase in new modes (though this affects the CW segments to a
greater extent), each of which seems to choose a gathering place. Some
are more insistent than others about keeping "their" spot clear for
their mode. It's not just the ragchew and public-service groups that
reserve space either; when I got started in the 1970s, frequencies like
14.195 and 21.023 weren't reserved for DXpeditions. I have my doubts a
50KHz reserved segment is big enough to hold them. (it certainly won't
if P53AA shows up during phone SS!) There are groups that probably
legitimately deserve some space. There are groups whose
disease-discussion nets don't deserve to kick some contester off the
air.
On the other hand...
There has been a major development since the last sunspot peak that has
vastly changed the way we operate contests. And that considerably
contributes to this problem. Note the unprecedentedly high frequencies
used by contesters on 10 meters (where the law doesn't get in the way of
frequency selection<grin>) in the last few years.
I mean SO2R. Really, the serious SO2R operator requires double the
spectrum of the single radio operation. Before SO2R, you had to stop
CQing (and relinquish your frequency) when you went S&P. Either you
occupied the 3KHz segment on which you were CQing, or you occupied the
3KHz segment on which you were calling someone S&P. Not both
simultaneously. Today, you occupy both.
Also... We (contesters) *do* have a problem with people who don't
bother to listen before CQing. These lids know who they are. (I'm sure
a lot of us who aren't lids know too.) It's annoying when their
selfishness intentionally QRMs another contester. When it intentionally
QRMs an existing *non-contest* QSO, it generates yet another vote for
contest-free zones.
=================================================
Finally...
*Were* there contest-free zones in Sweepstakes in the 70s? I sure don't
remember them. (first licensed in 1973 & ARRL member/QST reader since
late 1972)
--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com
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