[CQ-Contest] Thoughts on 40 SSB

[VR2BrettGraham]

LA5HE added (with some editing on my part to make his comments
easier to see):

>>Not to pour petrol on the fire, but if R1 7040 kc boundary is, with a few
>>exceptions, simply a bandplan & not a regulatory requirement, then
>>why is it that gentlemanly EU dominate the band as seen from R3?
>
>It must be a concentration of our bad apples !!!

I'm inclined to suggest that 40m like the other weekend confirms
that the number of amateurs is growing in EU.  With that comes
greater chance of folks who might be a tad wide, or might want to
be inclined to be a tad wide & varying degrees of that sort - plus
everybody having a hard time hearing just because it's so
chock-a-block.

>> From where I am, the rest of world is trying to deal with EU chaos &
>>then EU types slag us off for doing so.
>
>If it is any comfort, it is worse up here !!!!

That thought makes me shudder.

>>The DUs & YBs who work SSB every day below 7010 kc are also
>>entirely legal & will be there for a reason, too.
>>
>>First step towards being able to get along is to understand others.
>>Everyone seems to be applying their standards here & not able
>>to see big picture, so IMHO not gonna get anywhere with this.
>>Sadly, this reminds of political/ideological/religious/ethnic
>>intolerance.
>
>The responsability, IMHO is the organiser's !  They set the rules for the
>contest.
>I appreciate that not all rules can be enforced, but at least there would be
>a moral
>pressure on the bad guys who dont play it by the book.
>The rules may also contain a provision for disqualification if reports of
>vioations
>are coming in from  fe x   countries/ continents. That should help, I
>believe.

The rule is that we are to abide by our respective license conditions,
local laws - and by extension, ITU-RR as in allowing amateur radio in
a particular place, ITU-RR applies either by direct reference or by
incorporation in local rules/regs.

So as VR who is allowed to use any mode other than TV or pulse
below 5725 Mc, what specifically do I do that violates the rules as
they currently stand?  It is the EUs - those EUs with true regulatory
restriction to operate SSB <7040 kc - who falls foul of both rules of
the game & the land... not me.

Yes, it would be nice if _nobody_ went below 7040 kc, but in order
to keep EU happy that means we surrender entire band - based
on my experience at least - to EU.  Sod the rest of the world - this
band plan reigns supreme.

And it reigns so supreme that we don't get reason it should be
applied to all - just repeatedly told it should just because - and
again, so supreme that some EUs apparently think when not in EU
that source of problem is outside EU so okay to do something
about it (example jam RTTY on 14069 kc).

 From here, problem is EU & again, rest of world is trying its best
to deal with the temporary situation as is done on other bands.

Like what drives some UA9s to give out wrong zone in CQ WW,
I still would like to understand what is behind this our-band-plan-
applies-to-you thing - especially when the collective wisdom of
ITU member-states is that current situation is just fine, as entire
Region can live with b'cast in its face (that also applies to R2 -
amateur non-CW "intrusions" are as difficult to deal with as
AM b'cast >7.1 Mc for rest of us?).

73, VR2BrettGraham