Re contesting on the "WARC Bands:"
It's more than "tradition." International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) band
planners put 30, 17 and 12 meters off limits for contest activity. From the
IARU Reg 1 (EU) HF Manager's Handbook: "Contests should be restricted to
160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10m. That is 30, 17 and 12m should not be used for
contests."
These recommendations may not wield the force of international law, but they
are something that IARU member-societies have agreed upon. In the case of 30
meters, aside from the fact that this is a tiny band, Amateur Radio is
secondary on 10.100-10.150 MHz and must, by international radio regulations,
avoid interference to primary users (fixed services, I believe). See IARU
Resolution 88-2. The 30 meter band is the only HF band on which Amateur
Radio is secondary. In addition, most administrations - the US among them -
limit output power on 30 meters to 150 W.
I'd hate to see this thread become an "us against them" debate. If you
believe 30, 17 and 1 are "too quiet," then get on the air and use them. You
can become acquainted with the propagation characteristics of each without
the benefit of a contest, and you can do it 24/7/365.
73, Rick, WW1ME
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