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Re: Topband: ARRL 160m contest and DX Window?

To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: ARRL 160m contest and DX Window?
From: Herbert Schoenbohm <herbert.schoenbohm@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 12:55:47 -0400
List-post: <topband@contesting.com">mailto:topband@contesting.com>
I guess if we are to take the rules as written anyone can park in the so call "DX window and endlessly call CQ Europe". The idea of working split in a contest would result in further problems and QRM and as such is a non-starter. it is better to be able to hear and deal with properly what ever is taking place on the frequency you are using.

For some in the Caribbean an intercontinental QSO could be a station 250 miles or less to the south in Venezuela. I really think the whole concept came about for regular DX-ing on TB for NA to EU/AF dxing and not for contests per se where these "rules" make no sense at all due to to their ambiguity.

Tom also said "This contest already discourages DX, and is more like a USA based thing like sweepstakes....." This is so true to the obvious point that many Eu's just ignore the sweepstakes styled bedlam that exists with it. The ARRL CAC has for years been petitioned to make the rules more DX friendly. But as long as HQ has this ivy covered mentality and the inner sanctum controls the process and not the CAC, any correction will be slow to ever occur. The CAC must be first tasked with an objective determined by the inner sanctum with their ever present establishment refusal to change anything brought to them by the members. Can you imagine a successful TB contest where KH8 and KH2 cont the same as Hawaii? Or even worse where KP2 counts the same as KP1? What is it about this that the highly salaried ARRL nabobs do not get?


Herb Schoenbohmn, KV4FZ


On 12/1/2014 12:24 PM, Tom W8JI wrote:
The ARRL 160 meter contest is this weekend. I know there has been a lot of controversy in the past about the 1830 to 1835 segment (the so-called "DX
Window").

I understand that if I am in the USA, the right thing to do is to NOT park
in that window and call CQ (but I can answer a CQ from a DX station on
another continent or island). The rule at http://www.arrl.org/160-meter
simply states "*6.1. *The segment 1.830 to 1.835 should be used for
intercontinental QSOs only."

The rules are vague, but common sense and good manners seem to dictate not parking in the window and calling CQ or running contacts. This way other stations in poorer locations or with smaller stations could have more fun, and more DX might show up.

Usually well equipped or located stations have no problem running DX out of that area, so I assume most who park there are little pistols who only hurt other fellow little pistols.

(This contest already discourages DX, and is more like a USA based thing like sweepstakes, so the more we encourage DX operation by making more states or sections available for the DX to work the better for everyone.)

73 Tom
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