Topband: CQWW SSB & Our Continuing Bandplan Discussions....

[K1ZM@aol.com]

Hi Gang

Looking over the comments now taking place on our various reflectors, I would 
like to add some more food for thought as we all look forward to operating in 
the CQWW SSB in 10 days or so. 

To cut to the chase very quickly, I think it is fair to say that MOST of us 
are worrying MOST about what will likely happen if WE PERSONALLY make a 
sincere attempt to honor our new 160M bandplan by NOT transmitting below 
1843kHz EVER during the contest (eg: you yourself follow the spirit of the 
bandplan) but THEN you hear others NOT doing so........eg: they are CQ'ing or 
calling MULTS below 1843.....

Ok, what now?

What issues does this raise?

1) Well, the most immediate issue for me is a possible LOSS OF COMPETITIVE 
ADVANTAGE.  If I hear my arch-rival calling CQ on 1824 or answering KH6CC for 
a zone 30 multiplier on 1829kHz (and I also happen to need Jack for a DOUBLE 
MULT), what is the right thing to do...?  Is it fair to say that this is 
what's probably on MOST contesters' minds at this point?

Well, you can be sure it is on my mind......!!

So, what can we all do to eliminate the NOTION of unfair advantage and put 
this issue to bed - both for the sake of the integrity of our new bandplan 
and for ensuring that SOMEONE ELSE does not "bend the spirit of the rules" in 
order to maximize HIS or HER score - at the expense of the rest of us.

There are some ways to do this - but it will take a willingness of EVERYONE 
reading this message to step up to the issue and say - YES- I am willing to 
try to support what I know is right and I am willing to help ensure that 
others (who maybe do NOT know yet the specifics of the new bandplan very 
well) are carefully brought on board as the contest progresses.

For starters, let me mention a few folks out there - we all know who they are 
- and I will mention first names only.

In the Multi-Multi Entry Class, if Frank and Matt and Rick and Ken out on the 
West Coast, and Timmy and Bob and Tom all instruct their 160M operators to 
give the bandplan a try at 0001z, we'll be making a GOOD start.

In the single op class if Andy, John, Randy, Bob, Bill, Mike in the heartland 
and a few others all agree to stay above 1843, then we will be doing even 
better.  

All of these people COMMAND RESPECT among the contest fraternity and can help 
a great deal by leading the way for others to follow.

In the single band 160M class, yours truly will be in there pitching but I 
have all but decided that the ONLY thing to do is stay above 1843 even though 
it kills me - because it is the right thing to do.

Now, what then.....?  What do we do when we happen to hear someone step over 
the line?

First we need to recognize that MANY will not know of the new gameplan here.  
They will be making innocent mistakes in some cases.  Whether it is an 
innocent oversight or an attempt to take competitive advantage, I suggest 
those of us hearing such activity drop down to their xmitting freq - but only 
for a second or so -  and POLITELY suggest, "Hey John, Bill, or Tom - Our new 
ARRL bandplan calls for all SSB activity on 160M to be conducted in the US on 
frequencies of 1843 or higher - please do not CQ or call here - as you are 
not respecting the spirit of the competition."

I would not suggest a FOODFIGHT, 4 letter epithets or irrational tone or 
behaviour.  just give 'em a POLITE nudge and peer pressure will (hopefully) 
do the rest.

If enough of us take this approach, the uneducated will catch on pretty 
quickly and those who think that no one is hearing what they are doing will 
also learn otherwise very quickly indeed.  And, they won't be very popular 
fellows NEXT May at the Dayton Hamvention either.....Contest Forum anyone?

For me, the most unpredictable part of operating CQWW SSB is going to be the 
dilemma of those overseas folks who do not YET know how the game is supposed 
to be played.  Here we have the CLASSIC dilemma of a station, good and LOUD 
too, who happens to be calling CQ on 1820kHz and he or she is not listening 
up.

OK, now what do we do?  It has been suggested that we might just call the 
bloke anyway and "wink" at the bandplan when we do.  Here I would ask that we 
do **not** do this - if we do, then we all start to go down the slippery 
slope again....and thats' not a good thing.

I see this one this as follows:

1) If no one breaks the rules, then NO USA station is going to work this one. 
 There will be NO single party loss of competitive advantage - it will be 
shared by all - so net-net we are still even on the scorecard.

2) What we might all wish to do now over the next 10 days is try to GET THE 
WORD OUT to our friends and competitors overseas about working SIMPLEX above 
1843  OR  about working split and listening UP as is done on 40 and 75 phone 
during CQWW. 

We can do this on CQ-Contest, here on Topband and on the various other 
reflectors that we know reach a wide number of likely overseas competitors.

3) Some will learn the ropes very quickly and some will learn "what's up" 
during the contest itself.

Example:  F6CTT is calling his lungs out near his sunrise with no US callers 
on 1827.  He looks at his wattmeter and sees all looks normal - but "what's 
up".

On his next over, he hears ON4UN just below him RUNNING GUYS on 1825 by 
listening SPLIT on 1855.   When F6CTT tunes to 1855 and hears the size of 
John's pileup - a lightbulb goes off instantly and he decides to stay on 1827 
but now listens Split himself on 1864 - and so it goes.   F6CTT won't make 
the same tactical error on 160M for the rest of the contest....

There are also some helpful pointers that I have learned about SSB operation 
on Topband during a Dx Contest over the years.  Here are a few of them.  
Please note these are GENERAL rules of thumb and may not universally apply in 
all cases to ALL countries:

1) In order to be heard WELL in Europe, it is best to steer clear of the 
MASSES that assemble in Europe from between 1820-1840.  It takes a CANNON for 
an antenna to poke a hole into the absolute trash that those folks have to 
listen through to hear us.  And, most of us, do not have a CANNON for an 
antenna.

2) Look for key indicators that will reveal themselves as the evening 
progresses.  Where are the savvy Europeans xmitting above 1843 and how are 
they doing?

One key benchmark that I ALWAYS find is how WELL RW2F is able to work and 
hear the US on about 1857.  As sunrise rolls through his area, he literally 
runs the table here in the USA - why?  Because he was experienced and moved 
himself out of the TRASH down below 1840 in order that he might reduce his 
ambient noise level to something other than S9+20DB!!

Do your best to find a hole, even fairly high in the band and then CQ 
"listening this frequency and also listening down on 1818" for example.  Find 
a clear listening spot somewhere between 1815 and 1840 if you can - don't 
attempt anything below about 1811 as no European country that I know of can 
xmit in this region - on SSB or on CW if my memory serves me correctly.

I once went high in the band xmitting SSB on 1877 as sunrise started to cross 
Europe and literally ran the table for about 2 hours.  That was in 1985 and I 
have never forgotten how good it felt to be able to BE HEARD and to HEAR WELL 
for the whole period.

Remember, if someone is CQ'ing SIMPLEX up high in the band in Europe it 
probably says two things:

1) His license allows him to be there
2) He is there because he thinks he CAN HEAR on that frequency

One final point to add.  There is NO reason to think we cannot successfully 
work split on SSB on Topband during a CQWW or ARRL DX contest.

On 75M, all the BIG-GUNS line themselves up from 3802-3845 during the 
EUROPEAN sunrise period and they CQ there listening down to as low as 3600khz 
when they do.  In the process they are HEARD and they can HEAR when they do.  
These savvy ops are often rewarded handsomely for their efforts as they 
routinely  work HUNDREDS of weak Europeans whom they would NEVER hear if they 
were to have elected instead to CQ on simplex from 3750-3800.  I have tried 
this game long enough to know that my rate is relatively poor when I attempt 
this on 75.  I can be heard far better between 3750-3800 than I can hear - it 
is not a reciprocal event due to the QRM all over the place on adjacent 
channels.  But, if I work split listening down, my rate soars to levels that 
appraoch 70 an hour at times.  And, in the end, I know which strategy really 
works better as far as my scorecard goes...

One reminder about working SPLIT - PLEASE remember NOT to trample a QSO in 
progress. Use your ears before you xmit to ensure you do not step on someone. 
  If someone is there first that a European caller may not hear, it is best 
to move on.  K4ZDH seems to be taking a rather dim view of sloppy SPLIT 
operating practices by contesters and, rightly or wrongly, is calling the 
plays pretty closely - usually to the detriment of whom he views to be the 
offending party.

I hope this is somewhat helpful and I wish everyone the best of luck during 
the upcoming contest.

I think we all can still have fun and respect our new bandplan - both at the 
same time - and I would encourage those of my contester friends out there who 
have "standing among their peers" to take the lead here to help support our 
bandplan.

These folks will know who they are as they read this message.

73 and KICK BUTT

CU in the contest

JEFF, K1ZM/VY2ZMM

K1ZM@aol.com