[CQ-Contest] W4ZV's Most Disruptive Contest

[Tom Rauch]

Hi Bill,

160 has a unique set of problems most of which are rooted in the 
ARRL's short sighted and unwise attitude that they can magically 
wave their arms and make order out of chaos. That band has 
needed a narrow/wide mode separation for 40 years now. The FCC 
was willing to do that if asked, although that time may be ending 
now.

160 has always had problems between CW and phone operators. It 
was that way in 1962 or 63 when I first got on 160, and it remains 
that way today. It isn't a DX vs contest problem, it is a narrow 
mode vs wide mode problem...much like the way 40 meters and 10 
meters are slowly being ruined by phone operation.

We have people who intentionally cause QRM just because they 
"can", as well as people who just don't think before they operate. It 
just gets worse a half-dozen or more weekends a year, with the 
climax in the CQ 160 SSB. Even groups who have decided they 
are exceptionally good operators ignore IARU bandplans during 
their get togethers!

Some of the worse violators of bandplans are big-time DX'ers! So it 
is definitely NOT a DX vs local issue. It is a narrow mode vs wide 
mode problem. 

> 160 meter DXers are a very passionate group, and anything that disrupts
> even one day of their DXing is deemed unworthy.  I disagree.  They should
> share the space just like everyone else.  On those two days a year where
> the spectrum is filled with guys who want to SSB contest, they should go
> find something else to do.  Just like everyone else does on every other
> band during every other contest.

Anyone can turn the radio off one or two days a year without a 
problem.

The problem with 160 isn't two days a year, it is actually several 
weekends a year. It doesn't matter if it is a small state QSO party, 
or the massive influx of people during the CQ SSB 160, the 
precarious bandplans that barely work all year are all tossed out.

Without any reason at all, people park all over the low end of the 
band. The usual excuse is we are somehow incapable of making 
antennas function above 1850kHz, which we all know is nonsense.

160 needs a legal mandated separation between wide and narrow 
modes, so people can't intentionally or unintentionally ruin the fun 
of others...and it isn't just one weekend a year.

You can bet if several weekends a year the CW, RTTY, and PSK 
end of 20 meters was shut down you'd hear similar comments. 
Especially if 20 meters had strong short-skip propagation.



73, Tom W8JI
W8JI at contesting.com 


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