[CQ-Contest] WARC band contesting is a thing now !

[Ron Notarius W3WN]

All right, so maybe my choice of wording should have been better.

There have been concerns from the vast majority of active amateurs since the WARC-79 bands were announced, and since they started to be implemented starting in the early 1980's, about contesting activities (including "activity days" and things like that) overrunning the (relatively) small slivers of new spectrum.  That, along with the expense for a good many of us to set up competitive stations on these bands, are amongst the major reasons why contesting is (at best) frowned upon on these bands.

And as was pointed out earlier in the discussion, this has reached the point where documentation discussing on air activity now includes strong statements discouraging contesting on these bands.  In essence, it is not considered Good Amateur Practice.

Sure.  A short contest, an activity day, yeah, it could be fun.  But it won't happen.  The moment someone announces to the general Amateur public such a scheduled activity, there will be a TON of denouncements and criticism -- much of it justified -- decrying said event.

The W1AW/100 event?  That brought a lot of activity to ALL the bands, but was HEAVILY criticized for bringing "contest style" operations to those bands.  And that was just one or two active states each week.  

A major DXpedition?  Same thing.  For every operator who wants to work an ATNO on the band, there are three upset that "contest style" (whether it really is or not) operating is disrupting the band.

I personally was HOUNDED and SMEARED a few years ago, when I was supposed to be one of the K2M operators during the 13 Colonies event.  I made the mistake of stating on one of the online forums that I would be operating CW on 30 meters, and possibly operating on 12 & 17 as well, propagation permitting.  Wow, did that simple statement backfire on me!  It got to the point where a few people emailed KU2US directly, denouncing me as a Lid and worse.  It got so bad that he started asking the host of that K2M station (W3WH) who I was and why was he permitting such a terrible operator to participate, as he'd had nothing but complaints.  Not only did I have to withdraw as an operator, but the resultant flack soured Bill on the event and resulted in one of the three K2M stations never going on the air.  KU2US still won't talk to me, even though it's now years later.  All over nothing I actually DID, just because of something I said I planned to do.  (And the irony is not lost on me that NOW the event permits and encourages operation on the WARC bands, but that's another story)

Regardless...

It has become accepted Amateur practice in the past 35+ years, right or wrong, whether one likes it or not, that organized contesting will not include the WARC bands. Most Amateurs (at least in North America) accept this practice, and have faith and trust that this "gentlemen's agreement" will remain in place.   I see NO good reasons to deviate from this practice.  Yes, it might be fun.  But that's not a good enough reason -- not even close.

Push this camel's nose out of the tent while you still can.  IMHO.

73, ron w3wn


-----Original Message-----
From: James Cain <jamesdavidcain at gmail.com>
To: CQ-Contest Reflector <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Fri, Feb 7, 2020 11:34 am
Subject: [CQ-Contest] WARC band contesting is a thing now !

"Breach of faith and trust" in whom? The elected so-called
"representatives" we sent to the 1979 WARC where the new bands got laid
out? The red herring of "placating non-contesters" stank then and it stinks
now.

I agree with Doug Renwick and have thought for years that a single-band
contest on each of the new bands, once a year, would be a lot of fun and
might attract new people to use them. Hint: Don't call it a "contest." How
about Activity Day?

Cain, K1TN

No.  For the breach of faith and trust alone, this is a terrible idea.
IMHO.

73, ron w3wn


-----Original Message-----
From: Doug Renwick <ve5ra at sasktel.net>
To: 'CQ-Contest Reflector' <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Fri, Feb 7, 2020 8:26 am
Subject: [CQ-Contest] WARC band contesting is a thing now !

I think a single band WARC contest would be fun. Say have a 30m or 17m or
12m single band contest for a weekend; something like what is done with 10m
and 160m contests. Non contesters can use the non-WARC bands. Think about
it.

Doug
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