Topband: Confessions of A Known Criminal

[Ford Peterson]

Bill, K0HA wrote

>If activity was down this year as it appeared
> to be during my limited time on, I suspect that some people who knew about
> the situation were too paranoid about the consequences to get on.  Those
> who have been too concerned about things other than ham radio probably
> got scared off by "the police" after getting on.  Asking people who
haven't
> "shook on the deal" to follow a gentleman's agreement is doomed to fail.
>
> The TopBand has lost some of its uniqueness for me.
>
>         73,  Bill     K0HA

I didn't work the contest.  But I did get on to try for a few new ones.  I
too called DX below 1843.  So shoot me at daybreak.  I worked em too, only
because the US were not calling CQ on top of nearly non-existant signals.  I
asked one traffic cop to calm down when some guy started calling P4>> CQing
'in the window.' "He's calling CQ and I called him! said the K1>>  No, you
said 'CQ" about 1/2 KHz down!" said the unidentified cop.  What started as
an innocent answer to a CQ turned into an argument "in the window."  Talk
about QRM!

The DX saying they were listening at 1.85X I couldn't work.  Why?  Because
there was a guy occupying that frequency on this side of the pond.  Blasting
him at 1KW is illegal.

There are many perplexing issues: 1) I worked DX because I broke the
gentleman's agreement and didn't break the law; and 2) I didn't work other
DX following the gentlemen's agreement because simply setting the split to
where the DX directed would have been malicious interference and quite
illegal.

I agree with Bill.  Topband is different today.  In his words, "lost some of
its uniqueness."  The way I see it, I've got to be willing to throw my
scruples away to operate effectively.  It was easier to just not participate
this weekend--and Topband is (perhaps "was")  my favorite band...

This isn't over by a long shot.  Wait until 1200 guys try to wedge their way
into the next CW contest and limit themselves at 1810 to 1843!  I can just
hear the jammers and the bleepers at 1850 already.  5 or 6 DX 300 miles from
the US border will occupy the "window" with 40over signals.  Pompous
policemen above 1843, downtrodden PSKers at 1810.  2 meters is looking more
interesting all the time....

Ford-N0FP
ford@cmgate.com