I'm glad I'm staying off 160 this weekend, except for a morning
sked! SSB contests always seem to bring out the worst in
everyone.
Since there is such a tendency to point fingers and lump people
into groups, I want to be very clear I have not made any comments
to people on the air this weekend about the bandplan or where they
are operating.
All that aside, I think you may want to know how the statistics look:
> During the past 25 years I have operated contests on 160
meters this
> has never been a problem until now. This problem exists
because of a
Not true. It has always been a problem, more so as activity
increases. It has actually gone so far as to involve physical threats
against people in the past.
> small group of amateurs who want to have a prime section of the
band
> to themselves to work DX on CW. We all know who those
stations are and
> we have them to thank for this mess.....
>
> 73's KU8E/LID
In the response to the FCC petition there were about 520
comments filed in 30 days.
Excluding multiple responses from individuals, there were about
500 comments filed. This was a very large response as FCC
comments go...showing this is a hot issue.
Of those comments, only about 80 or so were against a formal
year-around rule.
Of those 80 or so objections, I found only a few objections based in
some part on contests. As a matter of fact, there were nearly as
many objections AGAINST the proposed rulemaking by people who
thought it favored contests as there were comments AGAINST the
proposed rule because they thought it hurt contests! Think about
that one a while!!! Anyone who wants a narrow mode area just can
win because of contests!
Of the group in favor of the rule, I counted about 100 serious and
casual DX'ers. Most favorable comments were from operators I
neither remember from contests or hearing in DX pileups.
It seems to me some of us are blaming Bill and Jeff for what the
majority of operators on 160 actually want.
The problem really isn't with DX or with this contest, it is with
people who either don't know any better or those who care less if
they behave properly. What I do, like most people, is just make it a
point to NOT work anyone I hear operating at any time below 1840
and I do work their competitors who are behaving.
That's an effective way of handling the problem. As long as they
know people are doing that.
73, Tom W8JI
W8JI@contesting.com
--
SECC on the Web: http://secc.contesting.com/
Submissions: secc@contesting.com
Administrative requests: secc-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems: owner-secc@contesting.com
|