Originally Posted by
Sean Kutzko KX9X, ARRL Contest Branch Manager
As we all know, the combination of poor conditions on the higher HF bands and increasing participation in contests, ARRL-sponsored and others, is creating some very crowded bands on the weekends - especially in the 20, 40, and 75 meter phone allocations. Busy bands can lead to conflicts between different groups of amateurs, but those conflicts can often be avoided. The following message is intended to help amateurs operate more effectively by planning ahead to mitigate the expected congestion.
Because contesters know to expect this situation in advance, it's a good reason to make an extra effort to avoid non-contest users of the bands, particularly emergency communications and service-type activities. For example, look up the times and frequencies of state- and regional-level traffic and emergency nets you are likely to encounter. Make a list and post it near the radio to remind you to listen first when near those frequencies. The same goes for wide-coverage nets or special event stations operating on the higher bands. If there is activity, give these non-competitive stations a little extra breathing room - 2.5 kHz above (for your signal) and below (for theirs) is a reasonable margin. (proportionately less margin on CW) If a net is on 3965 kHz, for example, keep your carrier frequency above 3967.5 or below 3962.5 kHz.
And it should go without saying that everyone's signal should be clean and free of splatter. If you unintentionally open up on an ongoing QSO or net, apologize and move. Just as we ask others to recognize the legitimacy of contesting, we should return the favor. Take a deep breath, have fun, and play nice!
Because net managers and EmComm leaders know to expect this situation in advance, it is a cue for nets and other on-the-air activities to activate and exercise their Plan B. Everyone must have a Plan B - an alternate frequency or band or time or even mode. It's unwise at best to expect that our chosen frequencies will always be noise- and interference-free in an emergency, so why not take advantage of the flexibility unique to the Amateur Service? 75 meter nets could try out 60 meters - to which amateur access was granted on the basis of the need for emergency communications. Changing net or scheduled contact times to avoid contest activity also works well. For example, when solar activity is low, 75, 60, 40, and 30 meters are often quite useful for regional communications during daylight hours. If you choose to stay put, remind the participants that under strong signal conditions, it's best to turn off noise blankers and preamps, turn down the RF Gain, and even switch in a little attenuation. They may be pleasantly surprised at how clean and quiet the band sounds! Why not take the opportunity to make this a training exercise? It will improve your group's operational abilities at any time!
Upcoming November contests that will create very heavy band loading include CW Sweepstakes (Nov 7-8), Phone Sweepstakes (Nov 21-22), and CQ World Wide CW (Nov 28-29). These events have been running on the same weekends for decades, so no one should be surprised that they will be loading up the bands again this year. Take this opportunity to inform yourself and your group and to adjust your operating technique and plans. Reasonable and informed expectations coupled with flexibility and a spirit of accommodation will help us all make use of our spectrum more effectively at any time of the year or solar cycle.
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