[Elecraft] Elecraft Net Announcement

[Bill Coleman]

On May 30, 2004, at 4:49 PM, Kevin Rock wrote:

>    Every time I have looked for a band chart I have never found one 
> that listed things like beacons nor where the data mode folks live.  
> So I am always leery of running too high in the bands.  As I was told 
> in a note earlier today I should not run above where the CW folks and 
> nets usually run.

The ARRL's "Considerate Operators Frequency Guide" is probably the best 
summary of frequency use. See: 
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/conop.html>.

You can see it lists the NCDXF beacons on 14.1 MHz. These beacons only 
transmit for a few seconds in rotation over the course of three 
minutes, so it may be that you may not hear them unless you listen for 
a while.

> But on contest days casual QSOs or nets are not allowed on the bands.

Sure they are. Casual QSOs are perfectly allowed. They may have to put 
up with a higher level of QRM because of the intense activity. If you 
want to avoid the contests entirely, you can go to the WARC bands, or 
60m. No contests there.

>  Seems rather harsh but contesters and DXers have priority over 
> anything else.  If you could lead me to a chart showing where I can or 
> cannot run a net I would appreciate it.

This is wrong. Everyone has the same priority. DXing, contesting, 
ragchewing -- all the same priority. Every legal and legitimate use of 
amateur spectrum has the same priority. No different.

The difference is, during a contest there's a lot more activity. 
Activity is good.

Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
             -- Wilbur Wright, 1901