[ADXA] Off 60m now - Past and present expose'. TU to Joel also.

Sat Nov 28 14:04:34 EST 2020

My last contact on 60m was on 3/31/2020.  I had just over 350 contacts
between 2018 and 2020.  Even built an EFHW for it, but it has seen no use
since April 1st.  Maybe I need to trim it a bit for 40m in yet another
direction.

I found the rules just too confusing and so many interpretations of the, so
I decided to play it safe and avoid 60m totally.  I got a WAS count quickly
and 50+ DX during 2018-2019, before I shut it down.

Can't say I've missed it at all.  And it's no longer even programmed in my
WSJTx frequency drop down any more.  I think this is probably a "thing", as
I'm not seeing many 60m spots on the DX Clusters of late either.

73's
George - WB5JJJ

4

On Sat, Nov 28, 2020 at 12:01 PM Steven Rutledge <crownhaven at bellsouth.net>
wrote:

> Go Gators!
>
> On Nov 28, 2020, at 11:53 AM, HamOP <k5yy1 at cox.net> wrote:
>
> 
>
> As of today I have decided to get off of 60m completely, take down the
> antenna and no longer chase DX on that band. Casual conversations on SSB
> stopped years ago. Most occurred on channel 4 and 5. Worsening DXing
> activity has greatly complicated things.
>
>
>
>    Started the band on day one on July 3rd, 2003, got first “official”
> WAS under the new system of starting up a non ARRL WAS award and was given
> #8 in May of 2009. The first few who got new certificates had a special
> silver star sticker added. I was also on the committee of 4-5 people who
> started the card checking and certificate approval process for K3ZXL to
> honor. He continues to do a good job.
>
>    The first official 2 large Gold Stars applied “DXCC” awards were given
> to the first 10 or so who got 100 *confirmed* on 60m. Got the nice “DXCC”
> certif in December 2015. The inclusion of *CW being allowed on 60m on
> March 5th,  2012* with the new 100 watts ERP rule *really enticed* DXers
> to pursue our DXCC ladder count which does not require proof of
> confirmations but the certificate DOES require card checking as started
> initially in 2015.
>
>    The ARRL has *a patent* on the use of DXCC on certificates, and I felt
> we should call the 60m version something like DX 100 or 60m 100 and forget
> DXCC being printed per se on our 60m DXing award certificate. Someone else
> was not worried the ARRL DXCC patent but I was, and I expressed my thoughts
> and resigned as a QSO and card checker immediately. I had talked to K1ZZ
> Dave Sumner about the matter and glad I backed off things at that time.
> Since then I have stayed on the 60m Ladder and only include confirmed
> entities that I have, but some just send in the # worked, confirmed or not.
>
>     *Joel’s 60m good  comments a few days ago* and mentioning some
> illegal transmissions off our “set channels” prompted me to realize the
> band is OVERUSING and ABUSING the emergency priority that 60m was
> designed for. I am for the ARRL on their stance on 60m since day 1 and DX
> chasing; using FT8/FT4 etc has totally destroyed the *proper use* of our
> 5 fixed channels, and the normal *channel passband* width is exceeded by
> the *multiple* and *complicated* digital systems used in DXing and just
> where transmissions occur. It ain’t simple, ask those on FT8 who even get
> confused at times on wking DX.
>
>    But, chasing 60m DX has worsened the overall situation for the most
> part, and I do not want to be part of it. My last 7 confirmations have been
> from many emails and begging for a quick CW QSO away from the FT8 pileup
> the DX had going at the time *or *to start with a sked before they went
> to FT8 on schedule. Time for 60m to be the emergency band that was intended
> in 2003 and to do away with the worsening DX situation since 2017-18…
> Channelized CW and SSB is OK and always has been self governed and
> respecting of other hams. I DOUBT a separate VFO ‘band’ will be implemented
> by the FCC as we now have in EU etc. They are limited to *15w ERP* but I
> doubt any NA DXer will lower their power from 100 (some 500w) down to 15
> watts ERP. Won’t happen.
>
>    Thanks for allowing this update on 60m since the beginning in 2003.
> Agree with others who have contacted me that something definitive *and
> monitored* needs to be done NOW. License loss was brought up and stopping
> any DXCC Ladder stimulus will help a lot… My talks at Dallas HamCom on 60m
> (twice) discussed the matter of respect for others and needing monitors to
> assist it being an emergency band mainly.
>
> 73 and keep up the DX chasing on all bands besides 60m.. hmmm  The old
> adage of IIWII is no longer valid for a self disciplined ham radio hobby.
>
> 73 and now time for Saturday football!
>
> San K5YY
>
>
>
>
>
> Sent from Mail <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for
> Windows 10
>
>
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