[CW] 3600 and above is still a CW band too, isn't it?

[SX-25]

When are we CW operators going to grow some hair on our chests and take the huge leap ABOVE 3600 KHz?
When Newington and Washington decided to cram all of us red-headed, cross-eyed step-children into the puny lower 100 KHz of 80 meters they did not tell us we could no longer operate CW above 3600. did they? I don't see any mention that the CBers who stole it from us have exclusive use above 3600. (Apologies to the decent ops who still operate phone however what I have been hearing in the phone band does not sound like amateur radio to me).

I was looking forward to my first weekend home for a long time and doing some enjoyable CW rag chewing over Thanksgiving weekend. Imagine my delight when I discovered the contesters making any 80 meter operations impossible, except for collecting worthless signal reports. It's that way every weekend almost; there seems to be come contest every single weekend when many of us have a window of free time for hamming. When Paul Segal penned "The Radio Amateurs' Code" ("They radio amateur is courteous," ) he evidently wrote it before the "professional" hams became so rabid.

Then I ventured up above 3600 and discovered the "new" phone band that they lobbied so heavily to grab from us CW ops. It was occupied with only 4 QSOs between 3600 and 3750 and only a single phone QSO between 3600 and 3700. So why am I tuning up and down the band trying to find a sliver of spectrum below 3600? For what did they need that spectrum so badly ? Between contests, nets, beginners practicing code on the air*, RTTY and those illegal fishing vessels operating upper sideband, the CW ops have got a seriously raw deal. *(Asterisk) Why couldn't those who were so eager to eliminate the novice license be, at least, SLIGHTLY forward thinking and set aside a few KHz of the band for novices, many of whom are calling "CQ SKCC" on top of each other and have no idea what the "RIT" does on their rice box.

They have brow beat us CW guys into feeling like we're unworthy sheep who must nod concurrence and be grateful for any crumbs we're left with. It is patently absurd to deal with a crowded band, especially on a wasted contest weekend when there is plenty of space above 3600 to operate.

Hope to see you on 3650...CW.

ZUT,

Vern WA9VLK
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