[DX-CHAT] A disgrace to Ham radio
Today, on 10.104 MHz, C52C was QRV, listening up. A class operation by class operators. However, as soon as the spots started on the clusters, the jammers and fools showed up and zero beat their transmit frequency. Carriers, someone trying to play the theme from The Lone Ranger with the with his paddles, another one sending 5-second dashes, etc. This kept up for 10-15 minutes and the C52C finally went QRT because no one came back to them. No one could hear them. This is now normal. Look at 14.195 MHz. Look at the transmit frequency of any DXpedition. It's always the same. The difference between today and 10-20 years ago is that it is 10 times worse and rarely do the QRMers let up. Now I happen to have a beam on 30, and I swung it around and the QRM was coming from NA. We like to blame other countries for this stuff, but the blame lies right here in Canada and the United States. The reason is LACK OF ENFORCEMENT. That's right, kiddies. LACK OF ENFORCEMENT. 20 years ago, if you did that, the FCC and then DOC (now IC) would DF you and a van would pull up in your yard. That was the end of your Ham career. Today there is NO ENFORCEMENT of the rules and regulations. When there is NO ENFORCEMENT, there is NO FEAR of repercussions. I really don't know why Hams like to QRM others, and years ago I gave up trying to figure out why. Kinda like trying to figure out killers kill and thieves steal, and I'll leave that up to the psychiatrists. It is because there is NO ENFORCEMENT of the Ham laws in Canada and the US (or anywhere else as far as I can tell.) Unless we somehow get the message across to our respective governments that a small portion of our tax dollars ought to go back to ENFORCEMENT OF THE RULES AND REGULATIONS, then we might as well kiss this hobby good bye. It has become a joke. And no, I do not need C5 anywhere from 160 through 10, so I'm not PO'ed because I missed anything. I'm PO'ed at whichever group of pinheads made the decision to reallocate resources that previously were used to enforce Ham laws for something else. That decision started us on the road to the end of Ham radio, and we are nearly there. 73/DX Paul VE!DX Subscribe/unsubscribe, feedback, FAQ, problems http://njdxa.org/dx-chat To post a message, DX related items only, dx-chat@njdxa.org This is the DX-CHAT reflector sponsored by the NJDXA http://njdxa.org
Re: [DX-CHAT] a disgrace to ham radio
I guess the only solution is to ignore if you can and steal their pleasure. If we could get every single ham who wanted to work the DX to have infinite patience and totally ignore the jammers, they'll go away. The DX will always hear everyone in a split pile, and there will always be a good fraction of the pileup that can hear the DX and not the jammer just like I could on 40m. If no one sends UP or LID or the FU I've heard a few times, then the jammer is just going to hear the DX soldier on in the face of jamming, apparently unhurt. It won't cure the problem (some jammers are very persistent) but it will help if they generally think they're too weak to be heard. I can't explain why things have gotten so much worse lately, unless the general downturn in society in general. I don't know either but there is something I've observed. Some DX operations get almost NO jamming, some are jammed constantly. I don't think it has much to do with the loudness or rarity of the expedition. That smacks of a deeper story than people are jerks I think some jamming is probably specifically targeted at certain individuals or DX groups for personal reasons. 5L2MS has had fierce pileups but I haven't heard much intentional transmission on their TX frequency, have you? They're mind-bendingly loud in NA too on some bands...in Western Africa and in great demand, and yet, I heard a fair bit of intentional jamming on C52C on 40 and now this report of the same on 30. What's the difference? Maybe I'm wrong, maybe 5L2MS is getting jammed just as much, but I haven't noticed that if it's true. Dan Subscribe/unsubscribe, feedback, FAQ, problems http://njdxa.org/dx-chat To post a message, DX related items only, dx-chat@njdxa.org This is the DX-CHAT reflector sponsored by the NJDXA http://njdxa.org
Re: [DX-CHAT] A disgrace to Ham radio
My experience listening to C52C on 40m was that the jammers couldn't touch 'em ;-) Tuners, intentional QRM, other such BS and C52C was just sailing over 'em. Doesn't let the QRMers off the hook, but it is something I like to hear. Dan Subscribe/unsubscribe, feedback, FAQ, problems http://njdxa.org/dx-chat To post a message, DX related items only, dx-chat@njdxa.org This is the DX-CHAT reflector sponsored by the NJDXA http://njdxa.org
[DX-CHAT] a disgrace to ham radio
While I agree with the observations, amateurs cannot expect these government
agencies to solve our problems. They do not have the money, personnel, or
interest to soend on something so trivial in the grand scheme of things {not
trivial to us, but to them}.
What can we do? Well, I can't help but notice that the Official Observer post
for the Maritimes is vacant, and has been for as long as I can remember. Also
many other areas of Canada as well. One reason may be that there are way less
problems in Canada than the US in general. Also, I'm not sure what kind of
promotion RAC gives the program, or how well it supports its volunteers. It
does have a different slant from the US program, relying almost excusively on
positive reinforcement, and not encouraging advisory notices at all. But that
is somewhat off subject, as the stations in question do not id, hence cannot
respond to any type of voluntary compliance efforts.
That said, I can say the FCC can and will enforce regualtions in the US. But,
and its a big but, the amateur community must supply foolproof and lawsuit
proof evidence before they will act. The burden is on us. If we can provide
reliable evidence usable in court and reviewed by the legal department of the
ARRL first, they will act. When you see the enforcement letters which reference
evidence they have regarding violations it is often the result of many hours of
evidence gathering on the part of Official Observers around the country.
The type of interference described is virtually immpossible to refer to the
FCC, unless perhaps an OO lives next door to a perpetrator. It is of very short
duration, unidentified, and maybe not repeated until the next big DXpedition
{we know it has to be fellow DXers}. To expect the FCC to send out a van to
track down such interference would be ridiculous.
So, what is the solution? I don't know, do you? I can't explain why things have
gotten so much worse lately, unless the general downturn in society in general.
many people have no regard for anyone but themselves. There is no quick fix for
that. Perhaps better training early would help, but then most serious problems
originate with htose holding the highest class licenses, who have been licensed
for many years, and perhaps passeda 20 WPM code test. These jammers also would
seem to have built up a respectable station if they can cause that much havock.
They are not the newbies with a vertical and 100 watts.
I guess the only solution is to ignore if you can and steal their pleasure. If
you can't, then do what you have to to make contacts somewhere. Swift and sure
justice might cause some to mend their ways. Then again, I have heard examples
where operators knew they were being monitored and evidence gathered and they
keep right on, even after FCC station inspections, warning letters, etc. There
is a certain segment that just have emotional problems, ego problems, or
whatever, and refuse to become a part of polite society.
Any ideas of combating the problem are encouraged.
73,
Duane, WV2B {VA1ZZZ}
www.sabledx.com
The reward of a thing well done is to have done it.-
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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