Topband: Where are the JA stations?

[james scott]

Bob & all,
 
      The number of JA amateur station licences used to exceed all countries.  In 1995 they had 1,364,316 amateurs.  By 2006 the number of JA's has dropped to 553,810. See http://www.k0nr.com/blog/2007/08/how-many-amateur-radio-operators-are.html
      It is also, only logical that the global economic situation has also caused a recent decrease in ops as well.  Clearly we see that the average age of DXer's in general is about 60 plus years of age.  Thus I would add the silent key factor into the equasion.  Add to the fact that propagation is constantly unpredictable on top band and I can easily see the reason for a drop in JA participation on 160 meters.
 
Merry Christmas to all,
 
"Scotty" WK3N......................................................................BEAMING UP!
 
 
"WK3N NEVER SLEEPS !" Quote from Martti Lane, OH2BH.


 

> Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2010 08:02:51 -0800
> From: midnight18 at cox.net
> To: Topband at contesting.com
> Subject: Topband: Where are the JA stations?
> 
> Fellow Top Banders,
> 
> I generally operate 4 contests with regularity each year starting with 
> CQWW CW, ARRL 160, Stew Perry and finally the CQWW 160. This year I 
> missed the ARRL 160 because of battery failure at my remote site. I have 
> been active on 160 since the early 70's so I have a good operational 
> base to go by. I am a dedicated 160m operator.
> 
> The question I ask is the following: What happened to all the JA 
> stations on 160? In the early years living in the Pacific Northwest we 
> had so many unique JA contacts that the logs would end up being reduced 
> by the contest committees. They have been in decline since specifically 
> in the last few years.
> 
> In this years CQWW I heard only three Japanese stations. In the Stew 
> Perry it was about the same, primarily it appeared the same stations 
> operating with another half dozen moving around search and pounce 
> operating. The exception being, a massive pileup calling CE/K7CA Sunday 
> morning.
> 
> I realize that I do not have the biggest signal on the band. I run 100W 
> with a respectable gain antenna system that would put me 6db below a HP 
> OMNI station with a single vertical. However, being within one hop to 
> water path all the way to JA I would expect to hear and work more than 
> just a few. As it stands I have been working more European stations 
> these days than JA and it is a considerably more difficult path.
> 
> Have the JA stations because of limited frequency allocations made a 
> internal operating agreement to share spectrum? Are they tired of not 
> getting a QSL for every contact? Or, are the US HP category stations 
> running far more power than authorized? Perhaps there are now just too 
> many contests.
> 
> Aki (JA5DQH) could you enlighten me on this?
> 
> Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
> 
> Bob, W7RH
> 
> 
> -- 
> 
> Bob Kile, W7RH
> DM35OS
> --------------
> “There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading.
> The few who learn by observation.
> The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.”
> 
> Will Rogers
> 
> 
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