[CQ-Contest] W4ZV's comments on FCC complaint

[Bill Tippett]

        I wanted to follow up on Matt's comment attributed to me:

"he stated he wanted to do so in order to emphasize the FCC stand on the
'contesters are better than ragchewers' attitude"

        In August, I felt there was a very elitist tone by several in our 
discussions of the 160 bandplan, interference by SSB in the CW area on 160,
etc.  I strongly feel this is very wrong and can do much harm to contesting. 
Whether you agree with me or not, I think the recent FCC enforcement letters
indicate that we all need to seriously consider ARRL's 160 Bandplan in our
upcoming contest activities.  I was certainly not trying to single out
Matt or K3NM and only wanted to emphasize the following general comments by 
the FCC in recent enforcement letters sent to him and others:

http://www.arrl.org/news/enforcement_logs/2001/0922.html?nc=1

Excerpt from Hollingsworth's letter to K3NM:
"Please be advised that Amateurs are responsible for taking steps to make 
sure they do not interfere with ongoing communications, and contest 
participants have no greater rights to any specific frequency than other 
Amateurs."

Excerpt from Hollingsworth's letters to W5TZ, KT5S and WA4TWM: 
"Band plans are voluntary in nature, but the Commission depends upon them
because they minimize the necessity for Commission resources to be used in 
solving Amateur problems and they provide an opportunity for Amateurs to use 
various modes of Communications.  Where interference results from band plans 
not being followed, the Commission expects substantial justification to be 
shown by the operators ignoring the band plans."

        I do hope all will follow the ARRL 160 Bandplan and restrict SSB to
frequencies on 1843 and above in the coming contest season.  Disregard it
at your own risk but "forewarned is forearmed".  I felt it was important to
bring these comments by the FCC to the attention of all contesters and was
certainly not trying to single out anyone in particular.

        I'm outta here for now to go see Polar Bears and hopefully some 
Aurora in Churchill, MB.  Send all flames to me at 58.8 degrees North and
maybe they will keep me warm until I return late next week.  Also send
me all Aurora so it will be purged from the ionosphere by CQ WW SSB!

                                                73,  Bill  W4ZV

P.S.  ARRL 160 Bandplan:

      160 Meters (1.8-2.0 MHz):

 1.800 - 1.810      Digital Modes
 1.810              CW QRP
 1.800 - 2.000      CW
 1.843 - 2.000      SSB, SSTV and other wideband modes
 1.910              SSB QRP
 1.995 - 2.000      Experimental
 1.999 - 2.000      Beacons

http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/bandplan.html#160m


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