[CQ-Contest] 160 M Band Plan

[Bill Coleman]

On Oct 29, 2004, at 12:56 PM, Mike Wetzel wrote:

> But in the last couple of years the plan has kind of fallen apart 
> during the
> contests because it seems like only the US 160 operators remember and 
> try to
> abide by it.
> What I am afraid of is the fact that with the super conditions on 160 
> the
> past couple of months, I know DX stations and VE’s will be calling CQ 
> on SSB
> below 42 and some of us will not be sure of what to do.

Back when the petition for mode-segregation on 160m was being 
processed, I made this comment -- that the only hope for moving SSB 
operation above 1843 during a DX contest is for DX stations to work 
split. Most of the world only has 1810-1850 in common. Unless they know 
to set up split operation due to US bandplans, they won't bother.

The real solution is to make the worldwide allocation larger.

>   I believe this
> situation is similar to the situation on 40 meters of the band plan to 
> limit
> SSB to above 7040 but this has been falling apart during contests 
> weekends.

The problem on 40m is worse, because of the much higher activity level. 
The worldwide band is only 100 kHz. That's slowly changing. 200 kHz is 
still small, but should be better than what we have now.

> So what I am saying is that on the 3 weekends a year the die hard, non 
>  SSB
> contest, 160 meter operators are most likely out of luck in keeping 
> SSB from
> below 42.

Yup.

Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
             -- Wilbur Wright, 1901