My first comment will actually be a question, what would the rational be
for banning 144200 during a contest? With so little 2 SSB activity in
many parts of the country (and sometimes down here in FL) it would make
contesting on 2 SSB not worth the effort. In the most recently ARRL VHF
contest I only worked 39 stations on 2 SSB and I was active all but 4 hours
of the contest.
If I would have had to spend my time spinning the dial I would have simply
moved to 6 meters to work stations. Even here in the Southeast I don't
think there is enough activity to warrant a banning of 144200 during
contests. Many new operators aren't going to spend all weekend spinning
the dial only to hear a few stations.
If 144200 were banned from contesting then we're going to have people
calling CQ TEST on 144201 or 144205. For an area where a local is calling
CQ on 144205 that pretty much makes 144200 useless for any calling due to
splatter. Here in FL and even in our local area (Daytona Beach) we have a
fair number of hams getting involved in 2 SSB activity. At first some
thought they were doing other a favor by QSYing to 144210 in order to free
up the calling frequency. Due to how close we are down here if someone in
the local area is having a QSO on 144210 I receive so much splatter on
144200 making it useless. Not many 2 SSB operators down hear have good
narrow filters in our 2 SSB rigs. I have an IC910H stock, and when people
as far away as 50 miles of me QSY to 144210 I I pretty much hear nothing
but splatter on 200. Locally we've been trying to make it a point to QSY
to 144230 because I know if I'm being splatter by hams 50 miles away on 200
I might be doing it to them if I only move 10KHz away.
Next point, if we're banning 144200 why stop there? Why not ban 50125 which
is more of a zoo when the band opens. Then 431100 and 1296100? Even with
50125 being a zoo during good band conditions it seems to sort itself
out. Either the operators will QSY and make QSO's and rack up points or
they'll stay on a crowded calling freq QRMing each other.
Those are my opinions,
George KI4FIA
http://www.MilAirComms.com/shack.html
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