Whatever the ARRL intent may have been, the wording of that particular rule is
defective, and has been for as long as I can remember.
Consider: How does one _start_ an "intercontinental QSO"? Usually one party
or the other sends "CQ". So to make a QSO in the DX Window someone has to send
"CQ TEST" or self-spot, then deliberately choose not to answer anyone from
his/her own continent! Sure sounds like an intelligent rule to me. Not!
The only way I can see an "intercontinental only" rule working would be to say
something along the lines of "Only stations outside North America should CQ in
the DX WIndow, and North American stations should transmit in that window only
when calling and working those DX stations."
But the ARRL 160 always was -- and still is -- first and foremost an ARRL/RAC
Sections contest. Given that, it's not clear why there should be _any_ rule
giving favors to intercontinental QSOs. Contest rules might be better advised
to simply "prohibit" _all_ contest contacts and their solicitation in the DX
Window, so as to leave that 5 kHz segment for non-contest CW DXers.
Bud, W2RU
On Dec 7, 2013, at 11:34 11PM, Mike Waters <mikewate@gmail.com> wrote:
> I see a lot of USA station, including a couple of regular contributors to
> this reflector, calling CQ TEST between 1830 and 1835.
>
> According to http://www.arrl.org/160-meter "The segment 1.830 to 1.835
> should be used for intercontinental QSOs only." I hear a lot of contacts
> being made between stateside stations.
>
> I thought this was for DX stations, and that's mostly what I've heard call
> CQ TEST there. Maybe someone can clarify this. :-)
>
> 73, Mike
> www.w0btu.com
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