Topband: Difficult rxing in contest environments in EU

[Tree]

On Tue, Feb 10, 2009 at 03:55:32PM +0100, LA5HE Ragnar Otterstad wrote:

> In the UK on topband we are limited to 32W PEP (15dbW) above 1850 KHz and
> 400W PEP (26dbW) below 1850 KHz.  So we tend not to wander too high.  Things
> can get interesting in the common CW/SSB band of 1840 to 1850, but topband
> being the 'Gentleman's band' we get through it. I'm not sure if it's just
> the UK in our region that has these power restrictions.

It seems there are some VERY GOOD antennas in the Ukraine.  They are limited
to ten watts (or something like that) across the whole band.  

All of this sort of points to the rules for 160 meters perhaps being a bit
out of date.  Maybe "the answer" is to try and lobby to get the rules for
various countries changed.  It doesn't hurt to try.

When I was in BV recently - I was pleased to see they had 1800-2000 with full
power.  

Have managed to work Europe the past three nights.  Conditions have not been
as good as the A and K index would predict.  Will be on the band tonight 
making some noise.  Hoping the conditions from the CQ 160 repeat after 28
days and I can make a splash in the ARRL DX CW contest.  That will probably
be the last opportunity for me to enjoy good conditions during a contest
until next season.

In the log the past few nights are SM5EDX, SM7BIC and GM0GAV.  From the south,
I worked ZP6CW last night with a pretty good signal.  C6AGN answered one of 
my CQs.  We are all getting QRV for the big KP5 pileup!

73 Tree N6TR