[VHFcontesting] using the calling frequency

[Tree]

On Fri, Apr 07, 2006 at 08:42:40PM +0000, Bill Olson wrote:

> That being said, up here in rural Maine, I will often call CQ to the 
> Northeast on 144.2. This is because the VE1's often MONITOR 144.2. I am 
> often the only station they heard all weekend because, while I am far off 
> the beaten path, they are even FARTHER..  With my beam to the NE I am qrming 
> no one and being qrmed by no one, but it occasionally results in a contact 
> and a new grid. For this reason and probably a lot of others, it's silly 
> making rules like QSY rules or "not using the calling frequency" rules or 
> anything like that in a VHF contest.. It's not the same as not allowing 
> operation on 146.52 on FM.. like what's the calling frequency anyway?? 
> 144.200. ok... how about 144.203?? 144.201? how about 144.2005? How about 1 
> Hz above 144.2? If it's not enforceable.. it's a stupid rule..

I don't agree with your last two statements - but so be it.

> I think the experienced contest stations KNOW to stay away from .200.. At 
> least they should if they want to get a good score.. We should be using ths 
> forum to let the newcomers understand things they might not know just 
> starting out. Things like when I hear a station S9 calling CQ from 300 miles 
> away, that he probably has pretty high power and if I am running 10 watts, 
> he might not hear me due to a lot of other stations calling him that are 
> either closer or running higher power.. I may not hear the other stations 
> because they are pointing away from me toward the station I am trying to 
> work.. If I have low power I should be "tuning and pouncing" a lot and if I 
> run out of stations to call and need to call CQ it should be a good distance 
> away from then calling frequency.. The big guns KNOW to tune for me. If they 
> don't they are missing QSO's and the really good stations don't miss much!

I read this and realize that I live in a totaly different world.  

If the big guns already avoid the calling frequency (which is not the norm
here) - what if we made the QSY rule only apply if you are on it?  It gets
policed by the other people on the frequency.

Tree