[CQ-Contest] 160 meter contest windows

[Tom Osborne]

Hi All

It seems as this summer is just flying by and pretty soon it will be contest 
time again (yay).  It won't be long until we are in the midst of some 160 
meter contests.  And, as before, after the contest, there will be emails 
that "W6*** or W0*** should be disqualified for transmitting in the DX 
window."  I know I have strayed in there sometimes and I always get that 
"getaddathewindow" call.  So I quit sending and listen for a while and don't 
hear a peep out of anyone in the window.  Then another W7 or W0 will stray 
and into the window and get the same "getaddathewindow" call.

That leads me to wonder, what exactly goes on in the DX window?  Who has the 
right to transmit in the window?  How about a little "DX Window 101."

Can a European station CQ in the window?  If G3*** calls CQ in the window, 
he is not DX to a G2, but he is DX to a W2.  If the W2 calls CQ in the 
window, he is not DX to a W3, but he IS DX to the G3.  If a G4 station sits 
on 1833 and calls "CQDX" he has a pretty good pipeline to the U.S..

Can a W1 sit on 1827 calling "CQDX listening 1830-1835?"  Is that proper? 
Then what happens when a W2 sits on 1837 calling "CQDX listening 1830-1835?" 
That would get interesting :-)   If if it is a DX window in both Eu. and the 
U.S. who gets to transmit in the window?

It just seems as though the window only helps a certain part of the country, 
whereas the rest of the country just works the DX the best they can.  From 
the left coast, it is just a part of the band we are not supposed operate as 
not to bother others working DX in the window.

I guess it would be fun to take a poll:

A.  Keep the window (east of the Mississippi)
B.  Screw the window (east of the Mississippi)

C.  Keep the window (west of the Mississippi)
D.  Screw the window (west of the Mississippi)

73 and hurry up sunspots!!!
Tom W7WHY