[SEDXC] 40 meters and broadcast stations

[David Thompson]

The band from 7100 to 7200 should be clear of broadcast stations and finally 
allocated worldwide as a ham band.  Hopefully this will clear the bottom of 
the band for CW and several noticed that there was little SSB in the ARRL Dx 
below 7040.

Two questions remain:

1.    Will there still be conflict between SSB Dx and Digital?   For one 
thing, US possessions (KP4, KH6 et al have SSB rights between 7075 and 7100. 
If you listen in the early evening VE's are all over the 7040 to 7100 with 
SSB.  There is a group that come up on 7063 each day regardless of who is on 
the frequency.  I missed XU because of this and I only need 5 entities on 40 
including XU. This was about 2330Z and we get a fairly decent long path 
opening
in late November through Christmas.   On a digital weekend they fill the 
band between 7040 and 7100 and on SSB Dx weelends SSB covers the same area.
I was expecting the DX to try splits from 7100 to 7125 where USA cannot 
operate.  Most say this got off to a slow start.  Loud multi KW Europeans 
can hold a frequency between 7125 and 7200.  This is not new as many have 
been working simplex for a couple of years.

2.    The second issue is will the band be clear of broadcast.  Sunday night 
there was BC stations on 7105, 7125, 7135 and 7155.  This is down quite a 
bit from say one year ago when the BC stations made split Dx a nightmare. 
Lets hope they go away as that middle east station on 7070 finally did a 
couple of years ago.

Remember we still have 7200 to 7300 but the BC QRM is still bad there.

Dave K4JRB