The issue I believe is that many people’s 160 antennas are limited in frequency breadth.
There is really just one SSB contest. On Dec 9, 2013, at 7:55 AM, Roger Parsons <[email protected]> wrote: > I agree with the remarks made by others regarding the DX window in the ARRL > contest. > > I have been more concerned for many years about the various phone contests > which take place on 160m. During those contests phone operation takes place > right down to the bottom of the band, effectively making any CW operation > impossible during those weekends. Last year one ssb contest coincided with a > Dxpedtion to 9U - an exceptionally rare country on 160m. Whilst it is true > that there are only a few phone contests on the calendar, it is also true > that there are only a few weekends where exceptional conditions happen, > particularly during sunspot maxima. > > > Frequency allocations on top band vary from country to country, but it is > generally true to say that the 'prime real estate' for phone operation is > from 1830 - 1850 kHz, with the 1810 - 1830 kHz segment being next most > desirable. Very few countries allow phone (or any) operation below 1810 kHz. > A significant number of countries (particularly North America) also allow > operation all the way up to 2 MHz.. > > Even in the busiest contests it is rare to hear any operation above 1900 kHz. > > It would be nice if the regulations were changed (particularly in NA) to > limit the permissible frequencies for ssb, but I think we all know that will > never happen. > > However, contest organisers can very easily define the allowable frequency > bands for each individual contest, and as has been mentioned by others this > is already done for some (particularly European) contests. > > I would like to propose that phone contests disallow the use on ssb of any > frequency below a dial frequency of 1820 kHz. That leaves 8 kHz of > international frequencies for CW operation whilst still giving the ssb > contesters 32 kHz of the 'prime real estate' - and 150 kHz of the apparently > less desirable frequencies above 150 kHz. > > I did suggest this on the contest reflector last year and was immediately > flamed, but I honestly think this would be an attainable and reasonable > compromise. > > 73 Roger > VE3ZI > _________________ > Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband > _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
