Topband: DX windows

[Tree]

It has been interesting reading the dicussion about the DX Windows.  I
think I am glad that the Stew Perry contest doesn't take a position on
them.  

Personally, I have mixed emotions about them.  And as others have pointed
out, there are two cases: contests and non-contests.  

In the contest condition, I really don't see much purpose for them.  What
they end up doing is putting some segment of the stations on a pedestal 
so they have a competitive advantage.  From my perspective in the Stew 
Perry (from Oregon), is that we have set aside a 5 KHz window for KH7X
to run USA stations.   This is very nice for him, but makes it harder
for anyone to compete against him who doesn't also have that advantage.

My major complaint during most contests are stations who end up sitting 
on one frequency all weekend and take up spectrum, even after their rate
has fallen to single digits.  If I were God, I would make it so that 
people had to use their VFO more and somehow were rewarded for answering
stations more than calling CQ.  I have wild dreams about some kind of 
Sprint QSY rule in topband contests.  Maybe something like you can work
up to 5 stations / frequency and then you have to answer at least one
CQ somewhere else before you can pick up on a NEW frequency.  Or maybe
if you call CQs for 180 seconds in a row with no answer, you have to 
QSY at least 10 kHz.  

The Stew Perry feels to me like the exact right amount of activity on 
the band without it getting too clogged up.  I seem to have no problem
finding a frequency to CQ on between 1800 and 1850 during most times
of the contest.  The CQ and ARRL 160 contests are a different story,
where I often end up above 1865 KHz.  

So - I think the "gentleman" idea is really something we should try to
instill in our new topbanders.  If you have worked a country 100 times
and there is an opening to a part of the country that normally doesn't
get a shot at them - then don't transmit.  If I hear W1's working JAs
at 1100 UTC, it isn't a big deal for me to wait a few hours to work
the JAs clsoer to my sunrise.  If a 9Y shows up on the band, and
there is a pileup - then don't transmit!  If he can't get anyone to
answer him, then go ahead and give him a call.  However, in a contest,
it is a competition, and if you don't have the hardware to work stations
with some QRM, then you aren't going to have as high of a score.

As I remember, when we last had excellent conditions on 160, the desire
for a DX window wasn't as strong.  When conditions are good, I think 
people find windows don't help that much.  

I consider 1830-1840 as a segement that should be used for "international"
QSOs.  I like this idea and I hardly ever answer anyone in that segment
who is a domestic station (yes - even during contests).  If the band is
open to Europe and there is a clear frequency available (like maybe 1837),
then I would often CQ there.  I try not to do this next to "beacon" 
Europeans (like DF2PY) that someone with a marginal situation might not
be able to hear if I am 1 kHz away from them.  During a good opening at
0630 UTC, there are probably more Europeans interested in working me than
there are stations trying to work Europe.

So - there you have it - not a black or white position.   You have to 
decide what feels right, and what will be accepted in your given situation.
Calling CQ on 1832 in the ARRL or CQ 160 contests (and probably even the 
Stew) from Colorado will get you a bunch of people telling you to QSY.
It isn't because they are going to work someone that they wouldn't 
otherwise work, but they just are defending "the window" because they
believe that is the right thing to do.  Most people will avoid doing this
because of them.  Those who don't know about it, will find out soon.  

In the Stew, I found most CQing stations to be in the 1810-1825 JA
segment.  I knew VK6VZ and VK3IO were on the band as I heard them 
answering stations down the band.  Nobody was in the 30-35 window, 
so I called some CQs there, and sure enough, VK3IO showed up pretty
quickly.  

As I remember, I have never had a problem with CQing near, or even in
"the window" during non contest situations when the band was full of
Europeans.  Of course, that was about 6 years ago, so maybe my memory
is failing me.

Happy new year to all.

73 Tree N6TR / K7RAT
tree at kkn.net