Topband: FW: Quo Vadis the ARRL and your DXCC program?

[Jarda OK1RD]

Top Banders,
first of all let me wish you all a steady health and prosperous new year
2010.
I am following discussion about European SDR on 160m band. I am now
monitoring the TopBand from afar because almost all DXCC countries on this
band are confirmed ( see:  <http://www.ok1rd.com> www.ok1rd.com  )
nevertheless your discussion took me up very much. Let me allow to add a few
opinions from a Top band old-timer point a view . 
I have been active on this band  for last  46 years. I remember well when
all the DXCC countries had to be find out by myself on the band and DXing
was about scenting out the DX station and successful DXer was HAM who was
able to do it so. I would like to mention how long time ( 4 Topband periods
) took me arranging by post  SKEDs  with Randy KH6XX to finally realize the
qso with him. Then packet radio came here in the beginning of the nineties
it has changed situation in the DXing completely. Can now somebody of you
live without DX Cluster ? I must admit me not. Note: I run recently the SP
contest and the rules are saying that when DX cluster is in use during
contest results must be claimed in Multi-Op category and I am personally
convinced that a lot of  operators in Single-Op category used DX Cluster
too.   
Further I have started to built a new remote controlled QTH. Some HAMs
sneered that this could not work at all or would not be useful for practical
DXing. 
But that was only way for me how to improve my DXCC Topband score to reach
finally TopBand world nr.1. My afford and investment of several hundred
thousand of USD has brought fruits. 
Should I start to weep at a new technology coming ? Yes, I also feel to be
cheated by using Web SDR system by others, but I am aware that nobody could
do against anything.
This reminds me, that somebody in this discussion mentioned here before,
that U.S HAMs are travelling to south to catch some Es DXes on 6m band. The
ARRL DXCC is not opposing this behaviour but supporting this one by DXCC
rules and doesn't respect also some remarks written by them to "improve" the
DXCC rules. I wonder what the ARRL will do with this Web SDR .......
I foresee nightfall above the DXCC program soon and personally I see my
future into doing our nice hobby for myself, to enjoy to work nice DX based
on as highest as possible antennas systems efficiency, improving gear and
own knowledge of the HAM radio.
Nothing is for ever so enjoy your own way too.
73 Jarda, OK1RD
 
 PS: As having nothing to call on the TopBand, I could offer my 8 to10
Beverages ( 400m long each ) for project of the new WebSDR radio. My idea is
to set up there about 8 or 10 SDRs for each Beverages direction on my remote
QTH,  and offer site, electricity and installment plus maintenance of the
system. This HAM public system would be nice for long DX testing all on my
remote QTH site ver the world.