Doug, You sound like a sincere and level headed op from this post and thank
you for the service you are providing to the ham radio community. Here are
a couple of my opinions on the situation you describe based on my 20+ years
of contesting experience:
- You were right in assuming that speaking on SSB to a contesting
CW op would not work. Personally, I am typically using 250hz filter
bandwidth with steep skirts and often listening back and forth on the upper
and lower sideband of the center frequency. I would never hear you.
- How is your German? A huge number of non-english speaking
contesters and DXers only know the callsigns and exchange and a few Q
designators. Even if the German ham was well intended, he very likely had
no idea what you tried to say unless you sent SOS to him.
- When that didn't work, and recognizing a serious situation is at
hand, did you QSY to a clear frequency up the band? I personally know that
the wall of CW did not get much above 14.125 since I was up there numerous
times.
- I was not aware of your net frequency or service until this
posting.
- Even now being aware, as you probably are aware, the US amateur
regulations specifically state that no amateur operator "owns" a frequency,
20 year net schedule or not. So as the unintentional QRM began, here in the
US, it would be as much your obligation as the German operators obligation
to move to a new frequency, unless a emergency or significant health and
welfare situation exists (which arguably it did in this case). I certainly
hope for the sake of the vessel in need, you moved up 5 or 10 kc to stay on
top of the situation given your reasonable efforts to move the German
contester failed.
The fact is that there were over 5,000 has contesting last weekend. From a
spectrum allocation standpoint, it would be more prudent for your net to
move once in a while to continue its good service than to force 99% of the
traffic volume of last weekend into a smaller spectrum so that 1% can go on
as if it's a normal weekday. Likely 350 days a year, that is the case
without issue. The rest of us would appreciate a little consideration for
the 16 days a year that would help us out.
All that being said, had I been the op, I would have quickly moved for you.
But I understand english fluently.
73,
Ed N1UR
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