[Elecraft] OT: Contesting / DXing practices

[Wes (N7WS)]

Are you suggesting that contest/DX ops should adjust their power for each contact?

I'm about 50 miles from you, I hope you're not accusing me of being a jerk for 
running 500 W to a 40' high dipole to work DX; for example, 9K2 on 40-meters at 
my morning grey line or IT9 an hour before sunset a couple of weeks ago.  I 
suppose on a dead-quiet band with no QRM I could do it with much lower power, 
but those were not the conditions I had to work with.

Wes  N7WS

Jeffrey wrote:

The band plans work better when operators actually abide by "using only the 
power required to make contact." In fact, the band plans might much less 
important if operators would bother to follow the "power rule." Friends and I, 
who do happen to live fairly close, can (and do) actually talk using .1-.2W 
(yes, those are decimal points) on 40m, NVIS. It is really irritating to get 
stomped on by some jerk(s) running several hundred watts to talk when they're 
less than 200 miles away, as happens here in southern AZ. Jeff - kg7hdz