As to the ARRL 160 being "sweepstakes for 160", I personally find I net more USA/Canada QSO's in ARRL 160 than I ever do during sweepstakes. I'm sure many DX don't see the point, but there's no denying it is a very popular ARRL contest that stirs up a lot of 160M activity.
I was impressed with very good behavior on the "gentleman's band" in CQWWCW on 160M. I had come from the other bands where bedlam and incessant calling was very common and it's like night and day. Tim N3QE On Mon, Dec 1, 2014 at 11:55 AM, Herbert Schoenbohm < herbert.schoenb...@gmail.com> wrote: > I guess if we are to take the rules as written anyone can park in the so > call "DX window and endlessly call CQ Europe". The idea of working split > in a contest would result in further problems and QRM and as such is a > non-starter. it is better to be able to hear and deal with properly what > ever is taking place on the frequency you are using. > > For some in the Caribbean an intercontinental QSO could be a station 250 > miles or less to the south in Venezuela. I really think the whole concept > came about for regular DX-ing on TB for NA to EU/AF dxing and not for > contests per se where these "rules" make no sense at all due to to their > ambiguity. > > Tom also said "This contest already discourages DX, and is more like a USA > based thing like sweepstakes....." This is so true to the obvious point > that many Eu's just ignore the sweepstakes styled bedlam that exists with > it. The ARRL CAC has for years been petitioned to make the rules more DX > friendly. But as long as HQ has this ivy covered mentality and the inner > sanctum controls the process and not the CAC, any correction will be slow > to ever occur. The CAC must be first tasked with an objective determined by > the inner sanctum with their ever present establishment refusal to change > anything brought to them by the members. Can you imagine a successful TB > contest where KH8 and KH2 cont the same as Hawaii? Or even worse where KP2 > counts the same as KP1? What is it about this that the highly salaried > ARRL nabobs do not get? > > > Herb Schoenbohmn, KV4FZ > > > > On 12/1/2014 12:24 PM, Tom W8JI wrote: > >> The ARRL 160 meter contest is this weekend. I know there has been a lot of >>> controversy in the past about the 1830 to 1835 segment (the so-called "DX >>> Window"). >>> >>> I understand that if I am in the USA, the right thing to do is to NOT >>> park >>> in that window and call CQ (but I can answer a CQ from a DX station on >>> another continent or island). The rule at http://www.arrl.org/160-meter >>> simply states "*6.1. *The segment 1.830 to 1.835 should be used for >>> intercontinental QSOs only." >>> >> >> The rules are vague, but common sense and good manners seem to dictate >> not parking in the window and calling CQ or running contacts. This way >> other stations in poorer locations or with smaller stations could have more >> fun, and more DX might show up. >> >> Usually well equipped or located stations have no problem running DX out >> of that area, so I assume most who park there are little pistols who only >> hurt other fellow little pistols. >> >> (This contest already discourages DX, and is more like a USA based thing >> like sweepstakes, so the more we encourage DX operation by making more >> states or sections available for the DX to work the better for everyone.) >> >> 73 Tom >> _________________ >> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband >> > > _________________ > Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband > _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband