Apologies to Bob,
Not really sure why this message from me came through looking like it
came from him.
Joe WB9SBD
Sig
The Original Rolling Ball Clock
Idle Tyme
Idle-Tyme.com
http://www.idle-tyme.com
On 8/10/2013 8:28 AM, Joe wrote:
On 8/9/2013 6:52 AM, Bob Naumann wrote:
The facts support my claim that non-contesters get to enjoy a clear
majority
of the time without a *major* contest going on and that *they need to be
tolerant* of other users of the spectrum!
In addition, if it wasn't for "Contesters" I really wonder how long it
would be before we loose some of these HF spectrum.
When I first got my license in 1975, Yeah I sound like a old fart
now, and I had to walk to school in my bare feet up hill both ways too.
But back then the bands on ANY day not just a contest day, but ANY day
were packed. 20 meters on a weekend was crazy! You never ever had an
clear QSO. you found a spot to squeeze into, but even a "EMPTY" spot
when you had your QSO you had a grumbler down below and a squeaky
squeak above you. that was the "NORM" If you had a really "Clear" spot
these people were far enough away that you couldn't understand them.
But most times they were close enough to be even able to understand them!
Now it is different. I was off the air from 1993 till 2008 or so, (not
that I did not want to be on the air, but personal and financial
situations did not allow it)
But back in 2008 I was able to get back on again. And when I hooked
up the Rig, I thought the rig had died in storage from non use.
I'd tune across like 20 meters, and maybe a dozen signals. Thats it.
Little did I know, that this is the new "Norm" the bands are dead. The
level of activity is like Nothing on Non Contest days. I love 10
meters, being a like 6 meters a band that ya never know what it will
be like today or for that matter at that moment. But I can count a
thousand times now where I'd tune across the whole band and not hear a
single signal except all the beacons. The band is wide open because
hearing beacons all over the place. I'd throw out a CQ and not a
answer ever. But as soon as a contest starts, there are thousands of
stations out there. If it wasn't for the contesters the bands would be
empty, except for Nets, and old farts that have been talking to just
each other for decades. If it wasn't for contesters the casual QSO
with strangers would be dead.
73, Bob W5OV -----
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