Topband: Am I the only one in step?

[Ed Sawyer]

It is common practice in the CQ WW 160M Contest for CQing on the NA and EU
side to occur in the 1810 - 1825 range.  I was doing so twice in the contest
last weekend.  It was pretty much every 3khz CQing in the range both Friday
and Saturday nights including NA and EU CQing stations.  For the last 5 or 6
years, as far as I can remember, this has been the case.

 

I had a number of EU stations call me Friday night between 23 and 00Z plus
well over 100 NA callers.  I was on 1811.

 

I had dinner then came back and heard no one in the region of 1811 around
0130Z.  I started CQing.  I was immediately told that an ET was below me on
CW (in SSB). So I stopped, listened, heard the ET7L station listening up.
Stopped and worked him on CW in about 3 calls for a new zone on 160 (ya!)
and then went and CQ'd somewhere else.  I swept by that pileup over an hour
later and it was still clear of SSB - so whatever was being attempted was
working.

 

ZF2AM was down CQing around 1806 and there were 3 or 4 other CQing stations
within 1810 - 1800. I never CQ down there because EU can't call you.

 

There are really only 3 contests heavy with SSB on 160.  ARRL DX SSB, CQ WW
SSB, and CQ WW 160 SSB.  WPX is zero, FD is essentially zero, and IARU is
essentially zero.  Maybe NAQP?  Not sure, don't really do those.

 

Is this really a problem?  I don't think so.

 

Ed  N1UR