Topband: Again about 160m bandplans

[Maurizio Panicara]

In the last 10 years I used to work split during my 160m ssb contests from
IR4T when conditions allowed Eu-Na traffic.
I found this way much more effective for me: better reception, and good to
speed up operations since I wasn't blanked by  forever callers on the other
side of the atlantic ocean.
I got anyway the feeling I was one of the very few ones doing that, and that
such *technique* wasn't so much appreciated....
A number of US station did reply on my TX frequency although I asked not to
do (it happens on 80m too) and some envy Eu station jammed on my RX spot.
My fear is that according to the new ARRL bandplan most of the Eu stations,
before spreaded from 1820 to 1850 will now park and fight for a *place under
the sun* between 1843 and 1850 with the pathetic hope to hold a good
frequency for continental traffic and for to avoid split operations with the
intercontinental one. The same thoughts will be in north America.
In facts this area will be probably *owned* by known big MM ones and this
congested situation is going to be surely enforced if some cw *enthusiast*
will patrol 1830-1840 during contests to quarrel with the SSB operators to
kich them away, although no real cw traffic can take place in that moments.
If true that the 160m band is wide, it's also true that the largest majority
of operators deals with narrow band antennas hat are not so much flexible
for TX operations. (even my 2 elements yagi has a noticeable F/B derate
upper than 1870..... but luckily there are beverages).
Adding that most of the intercontinental traffic is confined around
1820-1850, no matter the mode, it's quite evident that most antennas are
tuned there. Considering that international allocations for hams on 160
largely vary around the world but again meets in such *slice*, practically
speaking that part of the band is the common area for a vast majority of
people, an area that has to be shared with intelligence and realism.
Talking about international contests, very few ones are really worth for a
paying SSB traffic (I won't lose my time on 160 during a WPX for example)
and it's probably wise to realize that during contest it's needed ......to
be more realistic than ever.

73,
Mauri I4JMY