[CQ-Contest] WARC bands & Contesting

[Dale Jones K5MM]

 Jim,
 Early on, the general agreement was that the ARRL would not sponsor
 contests on the WARC bands, and for the most part all other sponsors
 have abided by that agreement as well.  As a (former) die-hard 
 contester I've often wished we could have some small and/or short
 contests on those bands.  

 There seems to be plenty of bands/frequencies, for all modes, available
 on HF.  If, for example, on 1 Saturday night per year, a 5 or 6 hour
 contest were held on the 30 meter band, a number of fellows would build
 antennas, test them out before hand, develop an interest in that band 
 for general usage, and the like.  Overall then, there would be MORE 
 OPERATING during the 99.9% of the time there were no contests.  (Say 
 6 hours out of 8760 hours/year is less that 1/10 of 1% of the total 
 time available in a given year). 

 Thus, why wouldn't the non-contest crowd SUPPORT generating some
 additional QSO possibilities....during the time when there were no
 contests on the band....on 30 meters by working ANY OTHER HF BAND
 during that 6 hour period??  Even a 24 hour contest would represent
 less that 0.3% of the annual available time.

 I understand how the non-contesters feel about contests....I don't
 like SSTV, and I don't like nets, and I don't like BSers in the globally
 recognized DX frequencies, and I don't like Spanish Speaking SSB on the
 bottom of 40 meters in the early mornings local time, and I don't like
 SSB from non-hams in the 10 meter CW band, and I don't like fishing
 sono-buoys on ham frequencies (I DO like to fish, though), etc.  Those
 activities may contribute so SOMEONE's activity, but not mine.  

 That said though, there must be some room for a small amount of activity
 that isn't completely compatible with those who like to operate the 
 WARC bands when they have hamming time available.  

 I do not mean this question to be a smart-alec question, but can you
 tell us how many hours you operate 30 meters per year, out of the 
 8760 yearly hours available.  If, for example, you operated on 30
 meters a total of 8 hours per week, that would represent less than
 5% of the available time.

 The point is....we must 'live & let live' on those bands so far as I
 am concerned.

 73
 Dale  K5MM    

 


At 11:34 AM 1/11/98 -0500, you wrote:
>With all due respect to those who wish contesting activities to raid our
>cherished warc bands, I for one hope that we can keep the warc bands
>free from the qrm of contesting. Surely we non-contestors should have a
>small refuge from contesting. 
>
>This message is not to be viewed as anti-contesting, just a statement
>that there are many of us who cherish the warc bands and hope to keep
>them as they are...
>
>73 and gud dx and contesting to all in 1998 !!!!!!!!
>
>de Jim   K4PYT
>
>
>


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