[Elecraft] Illegal contacts during the CQ WW Phone

Mon Oct 27 14:07:16 EDT 2025

Sanity check:  Techs can operate anywhere a higher class operator is present (actually IN PERSON) to the ability of that higher class, BUT (the catch point) they have to sign <call>/<higher call> which may not fit in FT modes but does on phone/CW/RTTY/PSK.  It should be noted in a logbook.

And of late the DXpditions are operating phone pretty much where they please near the bottoms of the bands which excludes US ops entirely; except those not paying attention to the ARRL band plan (it’s not cited for most bands by the FCC).

Other entities have band plans too; worth noting most of the time.

73,
Rick nk7i

> On Oct 27, 2025, at 9:58 AM, Julia Tuttle via Elecraft <elecraft at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
> 
> I wonder if anyone has been able to use the distributed receiver networks
> we already have (the Reverse Beacon Network, whatever backs aprs.fi, etc.)
> to identify and contact some of these folks -- specifically, "techs
> operating FT8 where they're only allowed CW" could be a 'simple' matter of
> cross-referencing those spotted transmissions with ULS license class data.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Julie
> 
>> On Mon, Oct 27, 2025, 12:34 Bob McGraw via Elecraft <
>> elecraft at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
>> 
>> I read the messages regarding the topic.  There were many misguided
>> thoughts and comments in my review of the messages as posted.
>> 
>> Yes, if you operated LSB on 7.125 your signal was in the CW portion of
>> the band.  Even if one operated 3 kHz higher, 7.128 kHz, your sideband
>> was likely into the CW portion of the band. And if one operated below
>> 7.175 with a General Class license you were out of the General Class of
>> the band allocation.
>> 
>> The ARRL and the FCC have a written agreement regarding the monitoring
>> of amateur frequencies.  This is known as the ARRL Volunteer Monitor
>> program.  The members are volunteers who have attended and participated
>> in formal training, both by video conferences and written materials.
>> There is an administrator of this program at ARRL.   On a monthly basis,
>> and on an as needed basis ,there is a formal method whereby members of
>> the VM program document and report infractions.  These are reviewed by
>> the ARRL VM administrator and assistants.  Three things typically occur
>> with the reports:  (a) no action taken, (b) the offender is sent a
>> letter from the ARRL VM administrator citing the offense, (c) the matter
>> is referred to the FCC for action.
>> 
>> From the other side of the fence, the FCC has in fact on several
>> occasions asked the ARRL VM program to look for and document specific
>> issues considered to be in violation.  This is fact whereby selected
>> hams are performing certain monitoring services for the FCC.    There
>> are specific and strict procedures being followed in all cases.
>> 
>> This weekend, I personally identified and documented 12 different ham
>> radio stations by call, being operated outside of their license
>> privileges.  These were reported to the ARRL VM program for review and
>> any deemed actions.
>> 
>> Just hope your operation and station call wasn't on my list. I'm not a
>> bad guy, I'm just doing the job you have asked to be done.   There is a
>> program to do such.   And it works.
>> 
>>  Here is a summary report of actual actions for July 2025 as published
>> in QST.
>> 
>> * Technician operators in Indiana, Colorado and Arizona were issued
>> advisories concerning 20-meter FT-8 operation, a band on which
>> Technicians have no privileges.
>> 
>> * Technician operators in Kansas and California were issued advisories
>> concerning 40-meter FT-8 operation, on 40-meters where Technicians only
>> have CW privileges.
>> 
>> *  An operator in Georgia was issued and advisory concerning
>> transmitting music on 75 meters, which is prohibited by Section
>> 97.113(a)(4) of the FCC rules.
>> 
>> *  The monitoring hours reported for July 2025 were 1067 hours on HF
>> frequencies and 1883 hours on VHF.
>> 
>> Yes we can do better and we can do more.  It takes time and manpower.
>> There are many areas of the spectrum that needs attention.  There are
>> many areas which are seeing improvements in operator discipline.  Just
>> don't be one of those on the list.
>> 
>> 73
>> 
>> Bob, K4TAX
>> 
>> 
>>> On 10/27/2025 8:28 AM, elecraft-request at mailman.qth.net wrote:
>>> Message: 2
>>> Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2025 19:12:35 +0000 (UTC)
>>> From: Al Lorona<alorona at sbcglobal.net>
>>> To: Elecraft Reflector<elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
>>> Subject: [Elecraft] [OT] Illegal contacts during the CQ WW Phone
>>> Message-ID:<1961684858.899707.1761505955592 at mail.yahoo.com>
>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>>> 
>>> If I were the FCC, I would camp out on or near 7.125 MHz on Saturday
>> during the CQ WW Phone contest and start logging the calls of all the US
>> operators calling DX stations there. (If you call on that frequency on LSB,
>> you're illegally transmitting out-of-band.)
>>> Just between the 1st and 7th innings of the baseball game yesterday, I
>> logged 30 stations who did exactly that: they all called IP9C on 7,125.5.
>> I'm sure there were many more.
>>> I have no idea whether the scoring committee disallows contacts made
>> this way, or whether that's even checked. Certainly, those stations should
>> not get credit for the illegal contacts.
>>> W6LX said that.
>>> Al? W6LX
>> --
>> Patience please; Rome wasn't destroyed in a single day!
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