TopBand: JA split in the window

[Dan Robbins]

Condx for the CQ 160 CW weren't that good, only one EU, no Caribbean, and I
was called UR7Y, DL7Y, KA7Y, AL7Y, KL7C, KL7T, KL7YM, etc.  Gotta work on
that call sign recognition problem.  Just a part time effort (lots of sleep).

While the DX window stayed remarkably clear - Good Job guys - there was one
kind of intrusion that frosted me.  That was JAs listening down between 1830
and 1835.  While it was not against the rules, it seemed contrary to the
intent of the window.  The window concept is that we in the most populous
areas should reserve a small frequency range where weak DX will not be
drowned out by loud locals making commonplace QSOs.  It worked some - I
snagged RA4NW and YB1AQS in the window, for example.  Unfortunately, several
strong JAs seemed to use the DX window for their listening freqs.  This
resulted in large pileups of USA stations calling, many times covering up
weak DX stations who were using the window.  I find it hard to believe that
all the frequencies between 1800 and, say, 1850 were so filled with USA
signals that the only freqs available for JA QSX were in the 1830-1835
range.  Disturbed by this practice, I worked very few JAs.




                                                Dan KL7Y




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