[UK-CONTEST] Bandplans and SSB contests

[Steve Rawlings]

Hi All

As a constructor of QRP HF equipment, I enjoy ragchewing on 40 and 80m with
my homemade station.  I also take part in contests.  I find that the 
competitive side of our hobby provides a good focus for improving my 
operating skills -- as well as providing additional motivation for 
improving my station equipment.

But some contests have their 'down side' too.  This past weekend, a large 
number of SSB contesters gave the QRPers in the upper part of the 40m CW 
segment a jolly good hammering.  They're a soft target, I suppose.

 From correspondence of a few years ago, I understood that contest
committees for the major world-wide contests were quite happy to let the 
entrants to their SSB events ignore national and international bandplans. 
This policy continues to give contests a bad image, and each major SSB 
contest generates a significant amount of bad feeling between the 'win at 
all costs' participants in SSB contests, and those who simply want to 
operate their preferred mode within the agreed bandplans.

I'd be interested to know whether there is _any_ support within the
UK contesting community for the organisers of world-wide SSB contests to 
include 'CW friendly' and 'data friendly' clauses within the rules for 
their events.

(I don't know whether this matter is 'off-topic' -- if so, it would 
probably be better to send your reply direct to me at steve at alg.demon.co.uk)


Regards to all,
Steve GW4ALG