I agree completely with Bud's take on the contest. This was my first year of
participating and I found the rules unclear and poorly written.In fact,
until a friend corrected my misunderstanding, I hadn't even understtod that
USA-USA contacts were allowed. The official "objective" of the contest says
" For Amateurs worldwide to exchange information with W/VE amateurs on
160-meter CW." I (mistakenly) interpreted "amateurs worldwide" to mean
non-USA stations, and that the goal for them was to work as many USA
stations as possible. I also observed that the supposed DX window was a
sham, with USA stations monopolizing the 1830-1835 window, even after other
stations reminded them that it was reserved for DX. (Seems like the ARRL
contest software could automatically penalize participants for non-DX
contacts in the window.)
My personal goal in the contest was to work DX, in order to test my new 1/4
wave transmitting antenna and build up my 160m DXCC total. My antenna worked
great, and I worked every DX station I could hear, usually on the first
call. Unfortunately, that was only about 20 stations. Admittedly, conditions
weren't good, but my impression is that the international DX community
pretty much ignores this contest, and for good reason. With every part of
the spectrum monopolized by USA contesters, there's no way they could break
through the clutter.
Frankly, I think the entire concept of this contest needs to be reasssessed.
There's really no point in awarding points for DX-USA contacts, if there's
only a miniscule DX participation. Better just to make it a ARRL/RAC section
contest, the objective of which is to build interest and drum up activity on
the band.
73,
Jim W8ZR
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Topband [mailto:topband-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of W2RU -
Bud
> Hippisley
> Sent: Sunday, December 08, 2013 5:59 AM
> To: Mike Waters
> Cc: topband
> Subject: Re: Topband: DX Window
>
> 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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