[CQ-Contest] WARC Bands and Contesting: Aargh! FAQ Update

[Joe]

On 8/9/2013 6:52 AM, Bob Naumann wrote:
> The facts support my claim that non-contesters get to enjoy a clear majority
> of the time without a *major* contest going on and that *they need to be
> tolerant* of other users of the spectrum!
In addition, if it wasn't for "Contesters" I really wonder how long it 
would be before we loose some of these HF spectrum.

When I first got my license in 1975,  Yeah I sound like a old fart now, 
and I had to walk to school in my bare feet up hill both ways too.

But back then the bands on ANY day not just a contest day, but ANY day 
were packed. 20 meters on a weekend was crazy! You never ever had an 
clear QSO. you found a spot to squeeze into, but even a "EMPTY" spot 
when you had your QSO you had a grumbler down below and a squeaky squeak 
above you. that was the "NORM" If you had a really "Clear" spot these 
people were far enough away that you couldn't understand them.  But most 
times they were close enough to be even able to understand them!

Now it is different. I was off the air from 1993 till 2008 or so, (not 
that I did not want to be on the air, but personal and financial 
situations did not allow it)

  But back in 2008 I was able to get back on again. And when I hooked up 
the Rig, I thought the rig had died in storage from non use.

  I'd tune across like 20 meters, and maybe a dozen signals. Thats it. 
Little did I know, that this is the new "Norm" the bands are dead. The 
level of activity is like Nothing on Non Contest days.  I love 10 
meters, being a like 6 meters a band that ya never know what it will be 
like today or for that matter at that moment.  But I can count a 
thousand times now where I'd tune across the whole band and not hear a 
single signal except all the beacons.  The band is wide open because 
hearing beacons all over the place.  I'd throw out a CQ and not a answer 
ever. But as soon as a contest starts, there are thousands of stations 
out there. If it wasn't for the contesters the bands would be empty, 
except for Nets, and old farts that have been talking to just each other 
for decades. If it wasn't for contesters the casual QSO with strangers 
would be dead.

  73, Bob W5OV -----