[UK-CONTEST] CQWW 160 SSB

Thu Mar 3 06:00:36 PST 2011

In general, I think we all ought to realise that amateur radio is a broad church 
and everyone is entitled to persue their own bit of the hobby whether we 
personally like it / think it's valuable / think it's real amateur radio or not. 
As such, I have sympathy with the folks trying to persue their 
non-contest interests on the small number of weekends when contests do occupy 
all bands - even if it is just on one mode.

I don't think it would be unreasonable to make segments of the band contest free 
under those circumstances. 

However - and this is the big BUT - these segments MUST be sized appropriately 
to the relative activity levels between the contest and 'peace-time' weekend 
conditions. Fair and equal access should mean just that - if there are 40000 
people taking part in a major international contest - equating to say 5000 
people simultaneously active on the band, then they should be allocated spectrum 
in accordance with the ratio of that to 'peace-time' operators. I don't know 
exactly what that ratio would be (but I bet technologies like Skimmer & RBN 
could tell us for CW at least if the restriction on only reporting CQ-ing 
stations was taken off) - but I'd take a wager that it's between a factor of 10 
and 100 for most significant contests, and way towards the top end of this for 
the big ones. 

Now clearly you can't have a bandplan which is completely different every 
weekend, but - if we took 20m as an example, in big contest weekends, you could 
make the contest allocations 14005-14150 for CW and maybe 14075-14325 for SSB. 
Basically hold a contest free segment at either end of the band and allow 
flexibility in the transition region between SSB and CW depending on contest 
mode since all major contests (except IOTA & IARU) are single mode. You'd 
obviously have to do something sensible with the data folks - maybe there's a 5 
kHz contest free allocation for them too.

This would have to be policed hard with major points loss / DQ for contesters 
straying out of band, but SDR recording makes policing much easier than it used 
to be.

Yes - I'm a serious contester, so I come from a particular standpoint, but I 
genuinely think this could and should create an equitable live and let live 
policy. Why should band-plans be the same every day, all the time. I think this 
proposal supports what is genuinely an explosive growth in contesting (just look 
at the entry levels for major international events), alongside what I observe 
(without hard fact) as a substantial decline in casual 'peace-time' activity. 

Mark, DXR's point is also important. Contesting is one of the few elements of 
amateur radio which appeals to youngsters - especially in this hyper-networked 
world that we all live in. We need these youngsters to keep the hobby alive. 
Don't strangle contesting, but at the same time recognise that we need to 
co-exist with all aspects of the hobby.

73,

Andy, G4PIQ

----- Original Message ----
From: "mark.haynes at yahoo.co.uk" <mark.haynes at yahoo.co.uk>
To: UK Contest Reflector <uk-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Thursday, 3 March, 2011 11:43:30
Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] CQWW 160 SSB

When I am contesting from home running 100w to wires/vertical, it can be very 
difficult to find a frequency. This often results in moving up the band on CW 
and down on SSB to allow me to run.

The good spirit of ham radio operators should give and take respecting different 
peoples interests. My main enjoyment in ham radio is contesting, and if it were 
my way there would be a big one every weekend, but that would be quite selfish. 
I feel it is very unfair to contesters to not be given their time and bandwidth 
which, over a whole year is a more than fair period for the non contester.

Even during contests, not only is there often band space for the other modes, 
but also other bands.

To see the bands full of contest stations makes me very happy because it is so 
popular and for young people, a competitive side to our hobby is what will see 
it continue with strength.

73,
Mark M0DXR

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

-----Original Message-----
From: cris at gm4fam.plus.com
Sender: uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2011 07:48:07 
To: <uk-contest at contesting.com>
Subject: [UK-CONTEST] CQWW 160 SSB

Peter.
As a keen DXer I have lost count of the number of times a major DXpedition
has been QRV but is impossible to hear (let alone work) on a needed band
because of contest QRM.  I gess I am not alone with these experiences.

So what do I do?
1) Carry on trying?
2) Wait for the finish of the contest in question? or
3) Complain on this Reflector?

Logic dictates that 1) is up to me, 2) is inevitable, but 3) would cause
even more unwanted, unnecessary and unjustified QRM ...

73 Cris
GM4FAM / GM1F

> Peter,
> Logic: non-contesters complain about contesting QRM only because there are
> SO MANY contesters! Many thousands cause 'QRM' to a few dozen rag-chewers.
> Why should that small minority expect QRM-free use of the bands?
>
>>All contesters should know that a majority of radio amateurs are not
>> contesters
>
> I would question that statement these days. However, the issue is not
> numbers of licensees but band-occupancy. Except for contests and
> DXpeditions our spectrum is under-utilised. Without them we could lose our
> frequency allocations.
>
>>contests appear to hog the bands almost every weekend
>
> No, that's a gross exaggeration, a false perception. Only on a few
> weekends each year are the bands filled with contesters, and that's mostly
> single-mode.
>
>>Our job is to placate them and make every effort to be reasonable.
>
> Absolutely! But maybe anti-contesters just knee-jerk in fury every time
> they hear a contester. Contesters are indeed reasonable: leaving WARC
> bands free of contests; mostly single-mode; often single-band. Are the
> anti-contesters being 'reasonable'? Live and let live, by all means - but
> why should 40,000 contesters in CQ contests (for example) give way to a
> handful of non-contesters? Maybe THEY should 'let live'! Better still,
> they could join in and enjoy the enormous benefits and fun of contesting!
>
> It could be argued that it is only contesting which keeps the hobby
> vibrant these days! Things change. Like it or not rag-chewing happens on
> the internet these days!
> 73 de Roger/G3SXW.
> _______________________________________________
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> UK-Contest at contesting.com
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>

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