CQWW 160m band segment violations

CQWW 160m band segment violations

IARU Region 1 President Hans Blondeel Timmerman, PB2T, draws attention to the problem of some amateur radio operators in the CQWW 160-Meter SSB contest operating outside the Amateur band.

On the IARU Region 1 website he writes:

It was disappointing to notice that numerous contest stations from Region 1 violated their national regulations by transmitting out of band during last weekend's CQ World Wide 160-Meter SSB Contest. While I can have some understanding that the IARU bandplan for top band is not followed during this major contest, I totally disagree that contest stations transmit outside bands allocated to the amateur service. For a station transmitting in LSB on 160 meters this is below 1813 kHz (for transceivers with carrier readout).

The amateur service has always been known as a self regulating service, which has helped us in our negotiations with administrations.

A behaviour as shown last weekend will certainly not help us in the future. I call upon all contesters to reinstate our values.



Hans Blondeel Timmerman, PB2T
IARU Region 1 President



IARU Region 1
http://www.iaru-r1.org/








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Numerous stations were heard from 1800 Kc to 1810 Kc outside the band plan.
The SSB contest showed lots of stations working from 1800 KC in LSB through the CW portion as well.

These were not isolated incidents anymore, sad to see that...

 

The contest organizers could implement a monitoring net and just disqualify stations found operating out of band. They are, after all, illegal - and contacting them is illegal as well. What about those operating by the rules? They could ask for the whole results to be considered null and void.

 

Some operator's were even being spotted on the Cluster as being between 1.800 and 1.810.

 

Thanks for this post - when something as trivial as amateur radio contesters operating outside the bands during a contest is a source of conder to people it helps put things I'm grateful for into perspective.

Things like my health, love of family, kindness of friends and neighbors. Yup, after reading the lame concerns of a few people upset over off frequency use made me realize that 12 or 13 hundred dollars I was gonna spend on HF equipment and assorted products to go along with it is better spent going towards my retirement fund.

See ya all quibbling about this nonsense twelve years from now when I'm 60 and sittin' back listen' to you mooks worry over nothing from the warmth of my nicely heated home in front of the large flat panel TV while the rest a ya are bemoaning the lack o' skip due to a low sunspot cycle.

Bye bye now ...

AA1MN

 

Contest Fever

I heard a local, K5RX down on 1.810 and others below that all the way down to the edge, 1.800. Contest fever. Anything goes (it seems).

I wasn't in the contest per se, but worked a couple here or there, but not in those regions, or above 1.900. I didn't see the need for anyone to be above 1.900.

 

Would be nice if the ARRL would update the US Amateur Radio Bands chart (Last updated 23 Feb 2007). As it stands now it shows 1800-2000 phone and data...ARRL Band plan states 1.800-1.810 Digital Modes.

 

Umm....Perhaps because 1800 to 2000 is authorized for phone and data??

 

This is typical of any contest. Operators outside of bandplan, running excess power, causing QRM.


Tom - AB3FL

 

Now, now, now.... don't you go bringing pesky facts into this.

 

Region 1 has different rules than the United States Region 2... IIRC

 

You would be correct.

In addition, the FCC sets the standards for what is allowed where, not the ARRL.

 

If you think it's bad now...

If you think it's bad now, wait until (SOME) of the Region 2 "Hams" retire and move to Region 1.

 

As noted many times by the ARRL, the band plans are pretty much not in effect during high volume periods and are not meant for heavy load conditions.

Causing QRM is pretty much a given any time you have stations on the air.

Running excess power. Can you provide examples of that?

 

1810 is bottom of band in R1

1800-1810 isn't allocated to the amateur service in ITU R1.

This has nothing to do with band plans, it has to do with compliance with licence conditions.

I don't believe any R1 country permits amateur service operation at 1800-1810 - in general, countries don't let their amateurs do anything not in compliance with the ITU Radio Regs.

Especially when it involves the service that is allocated 1800-1800 in R1.

ex-VR2BG/p.