For several good reasons, I elected merely to cherrypick in the contest
this weekend, in contrast to serious efforts in other years.
(Unfortunately, not too many cherries ripened here, but that is another
issue.)
As a consequence, I did a lot of listening in the infamous 1830-35
window. Here are my impressions, for what they are worth:
* ARRL's request that 1830 to 1835 "should be used only for
intercontinental QSO's...please leave this segment open for >only< DX
QSO's" (QST, November, p131) was a bit wishy-washy ("should" instead of
"will") and a bit confusing--which is it: intercontinental or DX? (which
may or may not be intercontinental.) It leaves plenty of room for
contestants to interpret the non-rule any way they wish--and they did.
* Compliance, to whatever model, seemed better than in previous years.
To be sure, there were very visible stateside stations who chose to
ignore the ARRL "request," and CQ'd all night long, ignoring reminders.
I was happy not to call them. I hope they are proud of themselves. There
were North American stations outside W/VE who chose not to honor the
word "intercontinental." I thought perhaps there were too many syllables
for a contester to absorb--but people who can copy SS exchanges at 50
wpm should be able to handle such a word. Or perhaps Mexico is not in
North America. I did not call them, either.
* A 5 kHz window, IMHO, is barely adequate if the operating convention
is observed--i.e. stay the hell out unless you are calling
intercontinental DX. It takes few transgressors to render the window
useless, however.
* There seemed to be virtually no Caribbean or Central American
stations. The only South American I heard was HK1KXA, and he did not
hear me.
* I heard no Euros the first night. The second night brought Euros, led
by OT6T, at sunset. Personally, I have rarely, if ever, worked DX on
topband at sunset from my California location, so that was a first for
me. Unfortunately, I could not work most of what I heard in the next 4
hours. Too bad, as there were several potential New Ones there. I got
beaten by people who normally sell rags on the street--and by their
grandchildren and second cousins. TK5NN was the sole--and a most
welcome--New One, found CQing almost unmolested in the window. Such
things can happen when the window is working, even if by accident.
* It was annoying to be called repeatedly by stateside stations when in
a pileup for a DX station, in the window. I refused to QSO those who did
so; some of them were friends. Some required an explanation.
* Questions without Answers #1231: Why do people tune up in the DX
window? Do they think it is an SSTV band? Or is it because they hear
nothing there and think it is a clear spot?
* The excrutiating level and discomfort of clicks and spurs seems worse
every year. Are there that many bad radios? Or is it just that on 160
the whole western half of North America is line-of-sight? I guess the
Santa Clara Valley is not the place to be during such a contest. I am
quietly thankful that most of the participants appear--like migrant
pickers--just for this event and the other topband contests, and then
leave the band for the hardcore masochists that dwell there the rest of
the time.
Please flame privately.
--
Garry Shapiro, NI6T
Editor, The DXer
newsletter of the Northern California DX Club
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