[CQ-Contest] 160m Bandplan: "The Window"

[Tom Osborne]

> 
> ZF2NT wrote:

> and he suggested that since I was "semi-rare DX", I
> could do so but should stick to the edges of the window.  

There was another dandy idea I was told.  The window is
supposedly 1830-1835. But was told that I should stay at least 2
or 3 kc away as not to interfere with stations in the window.  I
guess that means that 1827-1830 should not have any stations in
it, same with 1835-1838.  Then the window is 1827-1838.  I
dunno!  All I ever hear here in Oregon are stateside stations
calling CQ there anyway.  I'd never hear any dx if there was any!
Tom W7WHY


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>From Leigh S. Jones" <kr6x at kr6x.com  Sat Aug 18 07:01:16 2001
From: Leigh S. Jones" <kr6x at kr6x.com (Leigh S. Jones)
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2001 23:01:16 -0700
Subject: [CQ-Contest] prejudicial language retorts
Message-ID: <00e801c127ab$327761a0$ede3c23f at kr6x.org>


KB3MM writes:

They DO disrupt the bands.  The benefits are only for the contest
operators.  Most of those ops have no concern for the non-contest
users of the band.

KI5DR disagrees:

Rush hour on my nice quiet street maximizes the
utilization of the street, but people still resent it
because it's a nice quiet street.

I have to add:

Rather than disrupt the bands, contests fulfill the potential of the
bands.

Amateur radio is not a nice quiet street during the contests, even if
the kids can play hopscotch on the fast lane on weekdays.  If amateur
radio does not utilize the bandwidth, we will loose our allocations.
We, as amateur radio operators, must applaud activities that get
people on the air.  Contesting fulfills the prime directive for the
amateur radio service better than any other activity presently heard
on the ham bands.  It advances the state of the art, and motivates
mere casual hobbyists to train themselves to become fine communicators
even under adverse circumstances.

An example of this was the emergency communications provided years ago
by contester Larry Tyree, N6TR, following one of our frequent and
devastating Southern California earthquakes.  His story was told in an
issue of CQ Contest magazine last year.

VE3ZI/G3RBP writes:

The majority of the members of the ARRL committee are active
contesters, and I'm sure they are not prejudiced against contests.

I have to add:

Then that's all the more reason that they should be sensitive to the
negative impact that their words have made.  I am reminded of
mankind's long history of the victimization of races.  As an example,
in my childhood, more than 40 years ago, it was common for me to hear
from the mouths of African Americans in my home town (in Northern
California repetition) of the discriminatory words that racist
oppression had repeated to them throughout their lives.  The words
served to perpetuate the oppression that for centuries had helped to
enslave the race.  Only through sensitization to the language of
discrimination were the African Americans able to fight back against
this form of mind control.

K2WR writes:

Several of the ARRL 160m Bandplan Committee members are contesters.
To suggest that the language in the report is anti-contest or
anti-contester is close to preposterous.

I disagree emphatically.  The contesting community has been poorly
represented by this group.  By allowing such use of discriminatory
language in their report they have done injury to us all.  You may
initially fail to recognize the nature of the language that has been
wielded against the contesting fraternity in this report, but I hope I
can aid you to approach the subject with some new found sensitivity.

W7TI writes:

A contest QSO is the "finest fulfillment of the public service goals"
etc, etc?

Bartender, I'll have whatever he's having.  Make it a double.  :-)

Bill, I owe you a drink. :-)





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