[CQ-Contest] Frequency Conservation

[Joe Subich, W4TV]

> This ruling allows more flexibility in how the bands are 
> used.  I can't see how this can be anything but good for 
> everyone.   Even the curmudgeons  ;-).   Spectrum that gets 
> used is less likely to be taken away.  

Not true ... digital operation is not permitted in spectrum 
allocated to phone.  The changes on 80 and 40 will push a 
substantial amount of domestic digital activity right into 
the middle of Advanced/General/Novice/Tech+ CW activity and 
will result is a substantial problem.  I can almost guarantee 
the automated WinLink systems will ruin plenty of SS and 
other contest "run" frequencies by firing up without listening 
and cranking away endlessly until they get their message through. 

These changes are a disaster for digital activity and it will 
be put squarely in competition with much of the current CW usage. 
In addition, given the regulatory prohibition on digital operation 
in the phone/image allocations, the pressure on a declining 
"narrowband" allocations will only continue to the detriment of 
CW. 

The sad part is that most of the problems are avoidable with 
two simple changes: 

   1) make the 80/75 division at 3650 instead of 3600 
   2) allow (continued) digital access to 7075-7100 and 
      delete the US R1/R3 phone allocation there now that 
      R1/R3 have access to 7100 - 7200. 

73, 

   ... Joe, W4TV