>>No one 'owns" a band segment on 160M under what is a VOLUNTARY
>>BANDPLAN - and the band segments do "flex" in contests when there is
>>so much activity to warrant the overlap that naturally occurs.
The concept described above may have worked from time immemorial, up to,
and excluding, the creation of FT8/JT65/FT9.
FT8, and other yet to be developed modes, require a different approach
to band planning.
For lack of a better term, FT8 is a contained mode, meaning, the
software establishes a 2-2.5 kHz container. All activity occurs within
this container. Outside of it there is no activity, no 'D/QRM', to use
the malicious lingo adopted so far in this discussion.
It's easy for an SSB or CW operator to move a few kHz away, and still
make contacts, not so with FT8.
If each individual FT8 user was to QSY in the same manner as a CW user,
he/she may in reality be moving 2-2.5 kHz at the time. Multiply this by
many users, and the CW frequencies that you 'own' will be gone.
Gentlemen, are you sure you want this to happen? Instead of a single
2-2.5 kHz FT8 segment, you may end up with multiples segments.
The 20M FT8 segment is already over populated. People are already
talking about expanding below and above the establised segment. If the
popularity of the mode is sustained, or grows further, you may have a
much bigger issue in your hands. Better start introducing lots of new CW
users to protect 'your' frequencies.
73 de Vince, VA3VF
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