Fellow Top Banders,
I generally operate 4 contests with regularity each year starting with
CQWW CW, ARRL 160, Stew Perry and finally the CQWW 160. This year I
missed the ARRL 160 because of battery failure at my remote site. I have
been active on 160 since the early 70's so I have a good operational
base to go by. I am a dedicated 160m operator.
The question I ask is the following: What happened to all the JA
stations on 160? In the early years living in the Pacific Northwest we
had so many unique JA contacts that the logs would end up being reduced
by the contest committees. They have been in decline since specifically
in the last few years.
In this years CQWW I heard only three Japanese stations. In the Stew
Perry it was about the same, primarily it appeared the same stations
operating with another half dozen moving around search and pounce
operating. The exception being, a massive pileup calling CE/K7CA Sunday
morning.
I realize that I do not have the biggest signal on the band. I run 100W
with a respectable gain antenna system that would put me 6db below a HP
OMNI station with a single vertical. However, being within one hop to
water path all the way to JA I would expect to hear and work more than
just a few. As it stands I have been working more European stations
these days than JA and it is a considerably more difficult path.
Have the JA stations because of limited frequency allocations made a
internal operating agreement to share spectrum? Are they tired of not
getting a QSL for every contact? Or, are the US HP category stations
running far more power than authorized? Perhaps there are now just too
many contests.
Aki (JA5DQH) could you enlighten me on this?
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Bob, W7RH
--
Bob Kile, W7RH
DM35OS
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“There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading.
The few who learn by observation.
The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.”
Will Rogers
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UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
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