Contesting On Ham Radio

Hmmm... With so much of the spectrum allocated to Amateur Radio either under or not used, perhaps the non contesters who also don't like the WARC bands, might try say CW on a SSB contest weekend or vice versa. Then there's V/U during an HF contest or vice versa again. On V/U there's also other modes besides FM.....even SSB for the no code folks.

I would respectfully submit that those "flooding" contest sponsors with interference complaints probably don't have enough to do with their time? This IS a hobby. With online callsign lookup readily available, would not a complaint be more appropriately first addressed to the "offender"?

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Hammertime @ Oct. 31 2002,19:46)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (NJ1ED @ Oct. 31 2002,19:20)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Plain and simple.

Someone correct me here, but I believe one is to only call three (3) calls for a DX, using his callsign, to attemp a contact, before breaking.  Am I wrong or misinformed here? ANd if I am right, is that rule tossed out for contesters?

Your right, only 3 calls and that's it.  After that you must turn off your radio for at least an hour, or something like that.  Right?[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
So.. Does that mean I am incorrect in thinking that I can key and call CQ forever?

Perhaps I mistated:  Three calls of CQ followed by callsign, and UNKEY.  I believe you are supposed to WAIT for a few seconds to see if someone is going to come back?  I think that's the reason for calling CQ in the first place, right?  Then I expect you can KEY AGAIN and do it all over?

I haven't heard a ruling on this yet, but I seem to remember learning that somewhere between license upgrades...  But I'm not 100% certain.

I guess you could key up and call CQ forever, but then you won't have a chance to see if anyone is going to answer could you?
73
   

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (MattBeers @ Nov. 05 2002,23:47)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (K2TFT @ Oct. 30 2002,05:10)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">WHY DON'T THEY PUT THE CONTESTS ON THE WARC BANDS??  NOT NEARLY AS MUCH ACTIVITY ON THOSE BANDS AS THE OTHERS TO CAUSE QRM TO!![/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
The whole point behind NOT allowing 'tests on the WARC bands is to leave them open for ragchews.

Maybe some hams have a hard time remembering this, but the whole point behind the WARC bands, when we applied for them, is that they were BETTER than existing ham bands, propagation-wise.  It was RAGCHEWERS who wanted them the most.

So go use them, already!

MB[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
all i have to say to your post is.....


AMEN!!!!!!


Ron / n3qpc

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (hartdaniel @ Nov. 06 2002,07:47)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Flame me if you like, but I agree. Contests are a problem.
I often stop trying to find a freq when there is a contest, and shut the rig off. There needs to be restrictions.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Maybe you should shut the rig off, look fella's the bottome line is this, during contests it is a 1-2 day event, you ahve the rest of the week, and i bet most of younever worked a contest and that is why you are complaining,try it it is fun,challenging and also agrevating, i have heard many people complain about the contesters, well why don't the ragshewers (which i am both) give leave-way to the contesters for the day, the whole point once again is to have fun and see how many contacts can be made in a simulated emergancy event. Hey look at 9-11...had it not been for the contesters and their practicing (contesting) then while the whole state almost in Ny was without communications then they would have not negotiated people around, it was the hams that were use to emergancy set-ups, qrp tests and so on, had it not been for that then Ny would have been totally without reliable communications....that in itself made headline news around the world...that was a day that us hams got noticed and appreciated! so think on that for awhile.
My Webpage

 

And what WARC band would it be that has night time propagation characteristics close enough to 75 meters to allow 75 meter rag chewers to move there during contests?

From the replies i've read it doesn't seem that there is a contester out there smart enough ask that question much less answer it.

Wanna have a contest? Try Video Games over the internet.

Stop SSB contesting, do it today! Especially on 75 meters. Boycott the sponsors and let them know why you're boycotting them.

Ever So Sincerely,
Headly O. Possum
Head Possum
Possum Lodge Amateur Radio Club

 

There are none so blind as those who will not see nor none so deaf as those who will not hear.

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (curmudgeon @ Nov. 08 2002,13:21)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">There are none so blind as those who will not see nor none so deaf as those who will not hear.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
well spoken, enough said.


except, come visit my site N3QPC's Amateur Radio Page (note the spelling, so stop whining)

Ron / n3qpc

 

In the recent CQ WW SSB contest CQ9K worked 4,166 stations on 20 meters. That means at least 4,167 stations operated the contest on that band that weekend.

20 meters is 350 KHz wide. In the US the phone band is just 200 KHz.

With those numbers, QRM is going to happen.

You are asking for a clear frequency for your non-contest communications, which means that contesters will have less frequencies available for their use, and therefore more QRM.

But you have not stated a reason why you should be given this special treatment. If you want the contest sponsors to change the rules in ways that make it make it more difficult to operate the contest you'd need something more compelling that "I don't like it".

Reducing frequencies available to contesters would hurt the smaller contest station. Not everyone has a beam and a KW.

As far as petitioning the FCC, They've said that non-emergency communications have equal priority. Even you could get an NPRM issued the contesters would write opposing the measure. And even if it passed most hams don't live in the US and so would not be affected.

We may all agree that intentional QRM is wrong, but beyond that if 4,166 of my friends show up for a party I expect it will be a little noisy.

Paul, K1XM