160 Meter DX Window

Wed Nov 22 10:43:22 EST 1995

Was just reading rules for CQWW 160 meter contest. They make a big case out of
staying out of the 1830 to 1835 DX window. 

160 has 2 full megahertz of bandwidth. Why can't we allocate 15 or 20 kHz
(instead of 5) to the DX window? DX normally operates from a little above 1820
up to 1840 on CW and 1840 to 1860 on SSB (this is outside of the contests).
Anyone who has ever operated a contest on 160 knows that 5 kHz is not enough
(even assuming the W/VE boys don't call CQ Contest in it).

There are more and more DX stations getting on 160. Who not give enough
bandwidth to them so they can work us and we can work them?

While, I'm on the subject, why don't W/VEs who violate this voluntary bandplan
during contests get disqualified? I've got a mind to publicly list their calls
on here after each contest. I hear many, many guys who do know better but they
violate the rules anyway!

Phil K6EID

Phil.Finkle at sid.net

>From Lau, Zack,  KH6CP" <zlau at arrl.org  Wed Nov 22 16:09:00 1995
From: Lau, Zack,  KH6CP" <zlau at arrl.org (Lau, Zack,  KH6CP)
Date: Wed, 22 Nov 95 11:09:00 EST
Subject: (long): W1AW/KH6CP/1 Phone SS
Message-ID: <30B34B36 at arrl.org>

I decided to try single-op multi-station to get some more
practice for VHF contesting (I think K1JX's QRP portable
score can be topped if the VHF contest ends with
6 hours of tropo or E skip) .

KH6CP/1    QRP  11  hours
80 111
20 17
15 5
128 x 36

W1AW High power, single operator 6 hours while
the bulletins weren't running.  1200 watts to the  tribander
at 60 ft (not the big antennas)  Needed a voice keyer
to remember the right exchange.

20 310
15 32
342 x 70  missed ME, NLI, SNJ, DE, WPA, PQ, PAC
(I wonder if anyone in New England has managed
the sweep on just 20 meters?)

W6BIP, AA6YX, AC6AH, and N6RA called in from SF.

Got some good experience running pileups.
Wasn't too hard to keep a 120 rate, though my
best hour was only 91due to not sitting on one
frequency all the time.  It didn't help that I left the
boom mic at home, so I wasn't able to run CT.
I also forgot to bring the orange juice that I
normally drink throughout contests.

Amazingly, there wasn't a single dupe in the
W1AW log.

20 was much better than 15 for running.

I was surprised to find that running on a frequency
with a lot of splatter and needing repeats didn't really
hurt the rate, compared to operating at the top or
bottom of the band on where I could hear better.

Surprised to get a report of excess audio hum
after 157 (!!) Qs.  After hooking up the spectrum
analyzer and a separate receiver, I eliminated
the problem by pulling the Data Cable out ot
the IC-765.  Apparently, nobody using the club
station had noticed this problem before....
This took  all took 27 minutes....

The easiest way to get the SS rules is via KA9FOX's WWW
page.  Just a few clicks and it  pops onto your screen.  Or the
oak.oakland.edu ftp site.   There is also the option of sending
an s.a.s.e. for those preferring older technology.

Zack zlau at arrl.org

>From bhorn at netcom.com (Bruce Horn)  Wed Nov 22 16:30:10 1995
From: bhorn at netcom.com (Bruce Horn) (Bruce Horn)
Date: Wed, 22 Nov 1995 08:30:10 -0800
Subject: SS Score/Comment
Message-ID: <199511221630.IAA25217 at netcom3.netcom.com>

     1995 SSB Sweepstakes

Call:      WA7BNM
Category:  SOLP
Section:   LAX
Time On:   17 hours
Radios:    1

Band    QSO    Sec
---------------------
160       0
 80      26
 40     169
 20     253
 15     252
 10       0
---------------------
        700    76   =  106,400

Strategy (wrong one)
  Spent first 1.5 hours of contest S&Ping. The result was that I worked
  a number of sections, considered to be rare early in the contest, but
  found it very difficult to find a frequency to run on later. Spent too
  much of the contest S&Ping -- I'd run stations for a while, but when I
  got pushed off the frequency, I spent way too much time wandering
  around the band.

  Not only did this strategy not make me competitive in my own section,
  it didn't even result in a clean sweep. Although I actually worked PQ for
  the first time ever in an SS (5th year), I never found DE. Heard the
  ghostly trail of WW3V once when he move up 3 kHz to work some one, but
  called to no avail.

Strategy (right one)
  Think I have finally learned that the right strategy to being competitive
  in domestic contests is to CQ, CQ, CQ. If you lose your run frequency,
  find another one as soon as possible. Don't spend time S&Ping. The major
  decisions during the contest then become 1) deciding what band to be on
  and when to switch bands, and 2) when to take your off time. This
  strategy also naturally leads to the use of two radios. Although you'll
  eventually work most sections by simply CQing, a few sections may be so
  rare during the contest that you need to find them.

  Having identified what I believe is the competitive strategy, now I have
  to decide whether implementing it will result in enjoying the contest. As
  K7SS commented, I'm not sure CQing for 24 hours in the QRM madhouse of one
  or two open bands is my idea of a good time. Maybe this will seem more
  appealing in a better portion of the sun spot cycle. I congratulate those
  who have the perseverance to battle other contesters, nets, SSTVers and
  ragchewers and produce the winning scores.

Observations:

  1. Had very few callers answer with two letters of their call.  More common
     was the practice of just giving the letters of their callsign, rather
     than giving the call sign phonetically. Don't know if this is a result
     of hams' experience with VHF FM or what. More annoying were those
     CQing stations who did not give their call phonetically. Especially 
     when the call contained letters like E, B, C, D, P. It doesn't take
     much noise or QRM to render these letters indistinguishable. I think
     it's acceptable to say W-A-7-B-N-M when giving the SS exchange, but
     use phonetics when CQing or answering a CQ.

  2. The disease of this contest season seems to be the practice of out-of
     band operation during phone contests. I first noticed this in CQWW
     and observed more of it during SS. Listened to contesters CQ at
     7151.5 and 14348.5. What amazed me was that at least one instance was
     by someone who scores in the top 10 to 20. Have we forgotten that
     operating LSB at 7151.5 is not the same as CW at 7001.5 ?

Issues for Discussion (blatant opinion):

  I have to admit that two operating practices annoy me. I believe both
  of these are within the current contest rules, but find them annoying
  nonetheless.

  One is the practice of alternating CQing on two different
  frequencies, either on the same band or on different bands.  The bands
  are congested enough, particularly with only one or two bands productive
  at the same time, without having someone essentially occupying two
  frequencies.

  Secondly, I think if you use a second radio to answer CQs
  in between CQing on your run radio, then you should be prepared to lose
  your run frequency when you leave it to answer a CQ on the second radio.
  I think you have some claim to a frequency when you continually operate
  on it by running other stations. Although this claim may be more
  theoretical than actual when someone who is louder takes over "your"
  frequency. You get to be "morally" outraged. However, when you voluntarily
  leave the frequency to answer a CQ elsewhere, you don't get to be
  "morally" outraged when you return to find your run frequency occupied
  by someone else. I'm not saying using two radios is wrong -- just that
  there is a tradeoff in its benefit. At the same time I fully realize that
  if you're loud enough you'll "get to have your cake and eat it too."

  Now that I've struck the match, I'll sign off.

73 de Bruce, WA7BNM   (bhorn at netcom.com)

>From ni6t at ix.netcom.com (Garry Shapiro )  Wed Nov 22 16:37:13 1995
From: ni6t at ix.netcom.com (Garry Shapiro ) (Garry Shapiro )
Date: Wed, 22 Nov 1995 08:37:13 -0800
Subject: KG8PE
Message-ID: <199511221637.IAA18451 at ix13.ix.netcom.com>

You wrote: 
>
>	...it is nice to see something positive from a young man as 
>        opposed to the more prevalent headlines about 12-15 year olds 
>        convicted of murder, etc.   [K7NO]
>
>Some of those might be hams as well, I don't think the activities
>are mutually exclusive.
>
>Happy Thanksgiving -
>Derek AA5BT, G3NMX
>oo7 at astro.as.utexas.edu
>
Aptly put. Some of the crap on the air could trigger such violence if 
the perpetrating lids were more accessible.

DXER SHOOTS QRMER SEVENTY FIVE TIMES, the headlines screamed. "The lid 
had it coming," said the unrepentant ham, in a statement to police.

Gives more texture to the terms BIG GUN and LITTLE PISTOL, eh?

Garry, NI6T