Topband: 160 DX window

[John Bastin]

On Jan 26, 2007, at 1:36 PM, RonSpencer wrote:

>  My understanding is that US and VE stations should not call CQ in the
> window during times when it is possible for DX to be heard (i.e.  
> from just
> before sun set to at least an hour after sun rise). In past  
> contests I've
> only heard what I consider one really bad use of the window and  
> that was a
> VE2 (as I recall) station that would camp out in the window and  
> call cq.

I've heard a few in this contest, but it hasn't been a major issue.  
What little DX that seems to be audible there has been workable.

Far worse, in my eyes, was in this contest when there was a K1  
calling CQ in the bottom end of the window, there was an operator who  
kept sending "DX WINDOW QSY" over and over and over and over again  
almost on top of the K1. The policeman was very loud here, virtually  
made a couple of KHz on either side of him useless. Maybe the K1  
would have gotten calls from DX if left alone, at any rate the rest  
of us could have heard what was there in the frequencies around him.

Band cops, policemen...the "cure" is always worse than the disease.

73,


John Bastin K8AJS
bastinj at gmail.com