> With all due respect Ed, here’s my problem with this. While on the
> surface, this appears to be the “gentlemanly” thing to do, but in
> reality, I have an issue with this notion of working around their
> “watering hole” during a contest. During normal operations, I agree
> with the general principle of making sure a frequency is clear before
> we claim it and honestly do make every attempt to adhere to that.
What is the difference between operating in a contest and during
"normal" times when it comes to gentlemanly operating? When a band
is open, it is generally full of users - that applies to the JT and
PSK "centers of activity" just as much as the broader bands. Even
this morning when I hear (see with the P3 panadapter) no RTTY signals
on 15 meters, there is activity in the JT65/JT9 segments. The same is
true on true on 40, 30, 20, 17, 12 and 10 meters ... there may be very
little RTTY activity but there a dozen or more JT-mode signals visible
on the waterfall/P3 *per band*. Those stations don't "go away" on the
weekend/during a contest ... just the opposite open bands are even more
active during the weekend.
There seems to be an attitude that WINLINK/PACTOR and contesting are
the "highest and best use" of the bands and therefor contesters do not
need to listen for other activity and that WINLINK/PACTOR can fire up
on top of even contesters. Most amateurs would agree that attitude is
simply *wrong*.
As Ed suggested, contesters need to be aware where these other modes
congregate. Avoid those frequencies if possible but *if you must*
operate there, *know the characteristics of those signals* so you can
recognize them and not treat them as noise to run roughshod over.
Unfortunately like so many others, contesters don't appear to bother
to learn about the characteristics or centers of activity of the non-
mainstream modes. Perhaps it is time for contest sponsors to include
that information in their announcements and start removing credit and
multipliers if necessary.
73,
... Joe, W4TV
On 2015-01-07 7:24 AM, Scott Schultz wrote:
Ed W0YK wrote:
“Operationally, the safest thing to do is simply avoid these small,
known areas. If there is no other place to operate on the band, then
we need to take the time to carefully discern if there is on-going
operation in those areas before assuming the bandwidth is clear and
then claiming it temporarily for our RTTY transmissions.”
With all due respect Ed, here’s my problem with this. While on the
surface, this appears to be the “gentlemanly” thing to do, but in
reality, I have an issue with this notion of working around their
“watering hole” during a contest. During normal operations, I agree
with the general principle of making sure a frequency is clear before
we claim it and honestly do make every attempt to adhere to that. But
also, there is an actual rule that no station can “own” a frequency.
Just because it is a well know and well advertised “watering hole”,
this does not guarantee that users of that mode will have
interference free use of it at all times. There is nothing special
about those JT modes, or any other mode, that gives it special
privileges or makes then exempt from those rules. When I choose to
respond to some of those “too many contest” rants, although this may
seem rude to some people, I make it clear to them that if someone
promised that you would have interference free access to any mode on
any band any time you want it, they lied to you!
The bottom line is that I do not thing we are being unreasonable.
Amateur radio is a recreational past time (no matter what the EMCOMM
people tell you!) and working the JT modes is a choice some chose to
make within the hobby. What I resent is the suggestion that I MUST
work around them all of time.
In his next letter, Ed wrote:
“As an example of how each us can have very diverse reactions, take
today's thread that developed after W4HM's post about avoiding PSK
and JT gathering frequencies.”
OK, I admit to taking credit (blame?) for starting that line
reactions. But let’s be clear, I was not admonishing him for
suggesting that we should steer clear of the JT frequencies, it was
because he claimed that by avoiding them, it did not adversely affect
his score. Obviously he thought I was being a bit harsh, but I think
the general consensus here is that his statement was ludicrous. If he
found my “less-than-subtle” approach to be rude, I have to believe
that sooner or later someone else would have said something that
would have ended up with the same end result.
A frequent theme of these post-contest posts are that we need to
share the bands. I am all for that, 100%. When that is said however,
it is usually addressed to the people doing the contesting, not the
people complaining about so-called “unfair” contest behavior. Well
now let me turn the coin over. Claiming a particular frequency for
your own personal mode of choice and expecting to have interference
free access to it any time you want is not sharing!
73, de Scott N0IU _______________________________________________
RTTY mailing list RTTY@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rtty
_______________________________________________
RTTY mailing list
RTTY@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rtty
|