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

[Bruce Sawyer]

Clearly there is widespread concern (despite protests to the contrary from
K1KI) that the 160m DX window might not be followed in contests this winter.
Assuming for the moment that there is agreement that the window is defined
as 1830-1835 (and that is not a trivial assumption, for I think I can find
some group who will claim that any and every frequency from 1812-1850 is in
"the window"), then I need some help here in order to ensure I conform in
all respects to this gentlemen's agreement and am not guilty of "poor
amateur practice".  In a few weeks time, I will relocate to my little
Caribbean paradise and then will be active in all of the contests this
winter under what surely must be one of the least rare Caribbean prefixes,
and a NA prefix at that.  Here are the questions to which I really do need
answers in order to be sure I follow the rules of "the window":

1.  Am I allowed to call CQ in 1830-1835?  I once posed this question to a
160 contest director, and he suggested that since I was "semi-rare DX", I
could do so but should stick to the edges of the window.  That tells me that
what the rules really meant to say was that only people in countries with an
amateur population of less than x000 are allowed to call CQ there.  But that
isn't what's written.  The rules merely say, "intercontinental contacts
only".  Now, I do know that if as a lowly W6 I were to call CQ there then I
should expect the purists to chastise me severely for violating "the
window", even if I only acknowledge non-NA responses.  But the question is
whether I can call CQ when I'm under my ZF prefix?  And if not, then who
should be calling CQ there?

2.  Supposing I can call CQ in "the window", whom can I answer?  If I should
get a call from a US station in response to my CQ, what should I do?  Should
I hit my F6 key, programmed to send "SRI WINDOW  DX ONLY" every time I get a
call from a US station?  But that in itself would amount to a QSO, so I
suppose the answer is that I should simply pretend not to hear any US
callers?  This is a crucial question, and I really do need an answer.  But
realize, I may just follow that advice!

This is not meant to be tongue-in-cheek, or at least not completely.  The
concept of "the window" has never made sense to me, and largely for that
reason I have avoided 160m contests during the past few years (except for a
little S&P just to pass out the mult--and even then I've been skipping over
1830-1835 just as my private little protest).

It's quite obvious to me that at least a majority of people on the 160
Bandplan Committee understand the problem.  Personally, I think they've done
a fantastic job and I wholeheartedly applaud their recommendations.

Bruce, N6NT/ZF2NT


--
CQ-Contest on WWW: http://lists.contesting.com/_cq-contest/
Administrative requests: cq-contest-REQUEST at contesting.com