We have reached the point in this thread where we are now going in circles
and beating a dead horse. So I might as well join in one last time.
Here is the situation as I see it as a CW, SSB and digital modes 160 meter
operator:
1.) CW ops don't want SSB and PSK31/RTTY ops to operate 160 meters.
2.) CW contesters don't want SSB and PSK31/RTTY contesters to operate 160
meters.
As I said in and earlier post, "Five words come to my mind: personal
selfishness, gated community mentality."
The propagation argument put forth as a reason to not have RTTY contests on
160 meters does not hold water.
I've been a regular operator on 160 meters for 20 years and have watched the
band go from crowded to virtually and empty wasteland, mainly due to many
hams becoming SK's and/or moving into assisted living facilities. I believe
in the concept of use the bands or lose the bands.
I'm retired and am a full time ham and can tell you that all the MF/HF bands
are very underutilized during the work week and not very
busy on the weekends when no contests are scheduled. Weekend contests
populate otherwise empty bands, a good argument for contesting.
Start a 160 meter RTTY contest and they will come. The newcomers will then
operate 160 meters when there are no contests and the band will come back to
life.
73 & GUD DX,
Thomas F. Giella, NZ4O
Lakeland, FL, USA
nz4o@arrl.net
NZ4O Amateur & SWL Radio Autobiography: http://www.nz4o.org
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