160 Meter DX Window

[n0dh at comtch.iea.com]

Phil K6EID <phil.finkle at sid.net> wrote:

>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.

UHH last time I checked it was  1.2MHZ (1.8 to 2.0)

> Why can't we allocate 15 or 20 kHz(instead of 5) to the DX window?

I'll be happy if the lids stay out of the 5KHZ window just once thats why
most rigs have two vfo's these days call CQ on on 1827 QSX 1832!The other
reason we are all crowded into the bottom 50khz is that most 160 antennas
only have a 2:1VSWR bandwidth of 50 to 75khz (a 20 khz window would consume 
half the "uesable" bandwidth of most antennas. By the same reasoning,
it is very difficult for us to take advantage of the remaing 1 mhz above
1.9. especially in a contest environment. Yea I have an antenna tuner but if I
have to retune every time I move 25khz by the end of a contest this can cost 
me 25 to 50 QSO's in lost operating time. (Hint: I can work 1.8 to 1.875 
without
the tuner. I pretune the tuner for 1885 which gives me an 2:1 vswr from 1.875 
up
to 1.9 so I can at least pick up another 25 khz at the flip of a switch.)

>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

Probably not, but if the USA NEVER transmitted in the window and DX ALWAYS
listened outside the window you be surprised on how much more DX got 
worked than now. The JA window from 1907 to 1912 works very well this
way.

>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?

Lets first see if we can make the 5 khz window work JUST ONCE, then we could
try a bigger window later. 

>While, I'm on the subject, why don't W/VEs who violate this voluntary 
bandplan
>during contests get disqualified? 

Because you cant prove that it is really them . If i wanted to get a 
competitor disqualified then all i would have to do is go down to the window 
call CQ for
10 minutes (illegally) using his call and presto the guy is history.

Not that anybodywould do that .......he he he. ;^)

>I've got a mind to publicly list their calls.

Now that is a great idea! I keep a black list of people I dont work anymore
because of repeated unsportsman like conduct. If a majority of W/ve stations
did not call W/VE stations calling CQ in the window they would quickly QSY
somewhere else trust me. If no one answers me after 10 minutes of CQ I think
I'd go search and pounce or find another freq. "We have met the enemy and he 
is
US"

Hope to see all of you in the pile on DEC 2 and 3

Dave
N0DH/7
Eastern Washington Section (EWA)