Topband: Band Plan comments.

[Alan Brown]

Jeff, KU8E, asks a very real question about the CQWW SSB contest.  In
his note to the TopBand Reflector, he asks basically " will stations
within the USA truly operate above 1843 KHz, during the contest period?

First, I am very pleased to see that there is no longer SSB rag-chew
QSOs EVERY DAY in the prime CW section on 160 meters.  Thanks to Riley,
we have three USA amateurs a little more aware that they do not own the
160 meter band.

Second, the ARRL band plan for 160 meters is American.  The CQWW SSB
contest will be the first World Wide SSB "event" on 160 meters since the
ARRL band plan has been directly upheld by the FCC.  Please note that
the CQWW SSB contest is NOT an EVERY DAY EVENT.

In the ARRL press release regarding how the FCC views the acceptable
variations to USA amateurs not following accepted Band Plans, there were
two words we should focus on.  They are: "substantial justification".
Now, I am no lawyer, and I really don't want to try to be one, but my
common sense needs to ask the question this way.  Is there substantial
justification to utilize the lower part of the 160 meter band for SSB
during the few "events" per year that are World Wide in nature?  It is
my belief that there probably is, due to the fact of the historical
frequency usage for short lived "events", such as World Wide SSB
contests.

The operators of VP2E have been asking your same questions, Jeff.  Maybe
we just need to ask Riley about this.

VY 73,
Alan...
K5AB