TopBand: 160M Band PLAN

[K1ZM@aol.com]

Hi folks

Just got back from Cape Cod and saw Yuri's band plan.

While it is pretty good, I would suggest a slight modification as follows:

1800-1835 CW only
1835-1850 DX Window (CW & SSB - DX ONLY)  (If Dx operates simplex, it is OK
to call there  - but get out after your qso - eg: USA should not CQ there )
1850 - 2000 CW & SSB (ALL COMERS with exception noted below)

1907.5 - 1912.5 (JA WINDOW - NO USA -  UNLESS A Target DX IS OPERATING
SIMPLEX or listening QSX  in the JA window.  If so, then call, work 'em and
get out)

Rationale - There are many EU countries who cannot operate below 1830.  I
would like to see a 5 KHZ overlap from 1830-1835 where a USA station is
allowed to CQ for general DX qso's.    For years, one of the best zones to CQ
on for DX  qso's has been 1831-1833 for  USA stations.    This is true at
BOTH sunrise and sunset from  the East Coast of the USA. 


Yuri's plan would not allow this to continue and I think that we all might
wish to give this some serious thought before jumping ahead with what has
been simply a "magazine/contest sponsor's PERCEPTION" as to where a window
should be.  (In this case I do not mean YURI, I mean CQ and QST's assumption
of what might be okay.  We who roam the band night after night know this far
better than ANYONE and we should take great care to see that any bandplan is
a good one - for everyone!  NO SPONSOR is going to get this perfect - but we
can and SHOULD!

Even in those Eu countries noted, 1830-1850 is the usual 160M allocation,
thus the real window of 1835 - 1850 is appropriate and WIDE enough for all
parts of the world to have a safe protected zone for DX to Dx qso's on EITHER
mode.

Any comments??

If the JA boys get a low band allocation, then this specific exclusion from
1907.5-1912.5 might be modified.

73 Jeff K1ZM@aol.com


!

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