[UK-CONTEST] Band-Plan vs Common Sense!

[Donald Field]

I can but agree with Nigel G3TXF on this one. While I would not condone
major SSB incursions into the CW segment, those who call for mandatory
bandplans may be on a sticky wicket. The fact is that voluntary adherence to
the band plans serves us very well, with almost all amateurs observing the
bandplans almost all of the time. But there is a recognition that some
flexibility is called for, for example during major international
single-mode contests (and I'm talking about CW and RTTY as well as SSB
contests).

Just suppose, for a moment, that we collectively agreed to push for
mandatory bandplanning. Almost certainly it would be taken as an excuse to
revisit the existing bandplans, most of which date back 50 years or more.
What would happen?

1. Almost certainly there would be pressure to considerably extend the
allocations for datamodes (RTTY, MFSK, PSK, and other new ones appearing
almost every week).
2. Almost certainly a call for reserved frequencies for other specialist
modes (SSTV, experimental digital voice, etc, etc?)
3. Almost certainly a call for reserved frequencies for other special
interests (as against modes), e.g. QRP, DX working, IOTA, etc.
4. A squeezing of the CW allocation on 40. CW operators have enjoyed
extraordinary good fortune on 40, having a much higher percentage of the
band than on other bands. I don't see how that could continue. Indeed, as CW
operators have 100% of 30m nowadays (didn't exist when the 40m bandplan was
formulated), SSB operators might well argue for 100% of 40m!

Where would this leave us? Probably with large segments of the bands which
were empty for much of the time, while other parts were overcrowded.
Rigidity rather than flexibility. And a bandplan that would have to change
every few years as activity levels changed and new modes were developed. And
who would police it? What action would be taken against violators?

I rather suspect this is a case of the old adage which runs something like,
"Be careful what you wish for. Your wish might just come true, but with
unexpected consequences".

Incidentally, the self-styled CW "policemen" who caused deliberate QRM to
SSB contesters at the weekend, did neither themselves nor the CW fraternity
generally, any good at all. Hopefully most of them were from outside the UK.

Don G3XTT

----- Original Message -----
From: "Nigel Cawthorne" <G3TXF at compuserve.com>
To: "UK Contesting" <uk-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2002 10:32 PM
Subject: [UK-CONTEST] Band-Plan vs Common Sense!


> Hullo UK Contesters,
>
> Sorry, but I have to disagree with those objecting to the
> odd (OK, quite a few) SSB Contesters parking themselves
> way down on 40m last weekend, eg FS/AH8DX was
> on 7009 for hours on end, during CQWW SSB.
>
> Strange as it may seem (being a CW nut) I have no real
> objection because CQWW SSB is by far the largest single
> event (bar none) in the Amateur Radio calendar, and 40m
> is just not wide enough for such a major global SSB event.
>
> This phenomenon happens just once a year, and I have no
> complaint. [Hopefully the problem might even go away if we
> are lucky to end up with a bigger 40m after the next WARC.]
>
> However, if I'm doing 40m during the CQWW CW event
> at the end of November, I shall be quite happy to be
> CQ'ing on 7060, or where ever, and would hope that any
> SSBer's who might be around those frequencies will
> understand that the CQWW CW is the world's largest
> CW event in the Amateur Radio calendar.
>
> 73 - Nigel G3TXF
>
>
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