All
I was quite pleased to see the wide spread support "in practice" a few
years back when we were all asked to respect the DX window during the 160 M
contests. It is now very rare to find US stations calling CQ in the window,
so we have proved that we can all adjust in the spirit of providing a
better experience for all.
As an earlier poster noted with 200 KHZ to play with I don't think many of
us will miss the bottom 50 KHZ of the band during the SSB contest. The real
challenge is antenna matching. I suspect that many folks who operate on SSB
below 1840 during a contest do so because many if not most died in the
wool 160 M "enthusiast" are also CW ops and our antennas are tuned for that
end of the band. I for one generally center my 160 M antennas around
1825-30 that way I can cover 1800-1860 with a 2:! SWR. I have already
decided in the "spirit" of supporting the band plan that for the SSB
contest I will go out and retune the antenna for 1875-1880 which should
allow me to cover 1845 -1905 with a reasonable SWR. What this really should
cause all of us to do in the "spirit" that ham radio was really born out of
decades ago is to come up with creative antenna designs which will allow us
to EASILY re-resonate or antennas higher in the band for SSB work and then
with the flick of switch go back to 1820 to chase CW DX. Many us will
reconsider the use of open wire feed systems and antennas tuners. I also
predict single band 160M antenna tuner design articles will show up in the
ham rags since most modern tuner designs are a compromise at top band
frequencies.
Let me give everyone a slightly different point of view on the recent
actions that led up to letters that were sent to the three stations who
were sent "show cause" letters. I lived in the midwest up until late 1999,
I listened too the "battle" that went on down there for at least 4 years
before I thankfully moved east and could no longer hear them. Had the
three stations involved moved down to say 1815 or even above about 1837
when asked nothing would have come of this, however what ensued over the
years was a war of wills. The CW DXers chasing dx mostly around 1822-1825
vs some good ole boys who initially believed they were within their rights.
Over the years both sides went beyond reason and provoked each other to the
point that things got out of hand, the ham radio equivalent of road rage.
There were numerous stations who "deliberately" QRM'd these folks and under
the letter of the law were just as guilty of violating FCC "willful
interference" statues as these guys were. please don't get me wrong I do
not support these guys and I'm glad for everyone's sake that the FCC
stepped in and put it's foot down. It's just that my daddy always taught
me there are least two sides to every story (and usually three) the truth
lies in between all the stories.
What we should all be mindful of here is the implications beyond the 160M
band plan. For years the non contest community and non DX chasing
community have cried out against the willful and deliberate interference
caused to them by these types of activities. Those of us who repeatedly
transmit on top of other stations without listening may well be setting
ourselves up to have our transgressions recorded and sent to the FCC. What
is clear here that the trend at the FCC in recent years has been to take a
stronger and stronger stance on "willful interference" to other operations.
From where I sit the recent band plan transgressions on 160M were more in
eeping with this sentiment than it was about the band plans itself, As I
said earlier had these boys moved down to 1815 out of the 1820-1830 morning
DX window they would have not raised everyones ire and the FCC would never
had gotten involved voluntary band plan or not. I seriously doubt that the
FCC considers contests as a "special situation" where by the band plan can
be ignored especially if you transmitting SSB on top of someones CW QSO and
they ask you nicely to move.
Food for thought ......and you guys transmitting SSB below 1845 during the
next contest will just have to do without my QSO points unless your DX
listening up split
Dave
NR1DX
dit dit.
|