A1A Future: “Anti-CW” Bandplans

For the Old Timer who has observed the encroachment upon formerly exclusive CW bands and not been subjected to the “cooked slowly like a frog syndrome”, the following facts should be obvious:

1. Formerly exclusive CW-only sub-bands within the Gentlemen’s Agreement Bandplans no longer exist. Foremost among the anti-CW culprits here is the ARRL in its published band plans since many years. ARRL Band Plan does not list CW at all within the HF band plans. Worse, it’s graphical band plan charts give the entire former exclusive CW bands to Data modes including all digital modes and RTTY. CW is only mentioned as a footnote in the side bar that CW can be used on all frequencies. We’ll return to this fact later in this article.
2. Digital modes thanks to the IARU major member societies of ARRL, RSGB, DARC, JARL and others being dominated by FT8 users (can we call them operators?) when any search of RBN shows these officials almost never use CW and if so often with decoders and only in contests and special events), now the former CW bands are increasingly suffering from Digital Mode QRM which strays downwards into the CW section.
3. Pirates using SSB avoid the SSB portions of the bands and choose to use the CW portions as they feel they are less likely to face problems and be confronted, since all they hear is “the birds tweeting” as they put it, and are oblivious to CW, it’s meaning and that there are human operators behind it being disturbed by their QRM. National administrations generally take no action against pirates using the formerly exclusive CW amateur radio bands.

These three facts do not bode well for the future, and in addition due to point 3. above, IARU is increasingly taking away more and more of the (formerly exclusive) CW bands giving digital modes more space than they need. Note that they do not give away SSB portions, but CW portions. So on 12m and 17m for example, now CW only has 20kHz to use and this narrow bandwidth is often full when there are “DX” operating split. The Digital Modes, with IARU encouragement, have invaded yet another 5kHz of CW band which was originally 40kHz, then reduced to 30kHz, 25kHz and now 20kHz since the top 5 is used extensively by digital modes.

The IBP Beacons which are so useful to determining propagation without a computer and software, are all operating on the traditional pre-digital divide between CW Exclusive (now no longer exclusive) bands and the SSB bands, at: 14100, 18110, 21150, 24930 and 28200 kHz. On all these bands it is noted that the digital modes do not use the upper portions extensively but instead gravitate to the bottom part of their sub-bands not making use of the upper portion and preferring to invade the CW sections below.

This results in CW operators generally stopping to use any frequency above where they hear the first digital signals, effectively restricting them to a mere 20kHz on 12m and 17m, and on 15m and 10m throwing away the entire portion which digital should be using but rarely does, between around 28101-28190 and 21100-21149. And yet, digital mode advocates due to them being in control of IARU member national societies, demand ever more real estate when they don’t need it.

So, what is the A1A operator, and here we mean Human CW, not those using decoders or merely interested in a “5NN TU” supposed to do? So many have given up entirely, unsatisfied by the increasing and far too high levels of local QRM, being swamped by contests on weekends, and having their QSO destroyed by sudden pile ups. Others have simply moved onto QO100 Satellite or VHF/UHF CW and won’t go back onto HF.

This is a great shame and is not the right attitude although often born of ignorance of the options. Further, it is our duty to resist and defend our rights to use CW unimpaired by wanton QRM from digital modes and SSB pirates, as well as unrestricted contests and selfish DX Pedos. So, let us look at the options available, and the pros and cons of each:

1. As rightly pointed out by the RSGB Chairman when asked what CW operators should do during contests, and not wanting to use a WARC band swamped by digital invaders and DX Pedos, the solution is simple: go higher up in the band into the SSB section, remembering that the entire band is available to CW, not only the Formerly Exclusive CW bands.
   
   Pro: there is no problem so long as finding a clear frequency and checking it before use.
   Con: too many CW operators still only tune around the bottom ends of the bands.
   
2. Start using the very top ends of all the bands, and by this we mean, instead of starting at 7000, 14000, 18068, 21000, 24890 and moving up from the edge to find a space, start from the top end at 7300 (7200), 14350, 18168, 24990 and find the first clear frequency from the top and work your way down looking for CW signals.
   
   Pro: there is no problem so long as finding a clear frequency and checking it before use.
   Pro: this can establish a new safer haven free of pirates and digital QRM for A1A Operators.
   Pro: this often results in SSB operators with a secret or forgotten love of CW, getting on the key and having their first CW QSO in a long time.
   Pro: there are no A1B decoder users looking for CW at the top of the shared SSB-CW band.
   Con: antennae are sometimes not optimised for the top end of the bands especially 40, 20m.
   
3. Use the Friendship Area (top 5kHz) and at least the TOP 9, and do so frequently and as a first option, especially when calling CQ. In other words, if you are a chaser, look for others calling CQ but start tuning from the top end of the (CW) Band down, and if finding nothing, and if a Caller, go back to the top end and start calling CQ there. Resist the temptation to simply go 20kHz from the band edge like everyone else as this does nothing to promote the Human CW Friendship Area and defend against digital encroachment.
   
   Pro: this portion of the band is actually giving the most efficient transfer of power from the antenna into the air as most antennae are optimised for this portion and not the bottom end of the CW bands, especially on 20m and 40m.
   Pro: this increases your chance of non-5NN QSO, Quality QSO and QTT Quality True Telegraphy and meeting other Quality True Telegraphists.
   Pro: you can log these QSO and submit the results at the end of the month to TOP9 league.
   Con: you will find digital QRM especially on 12m and 17m, if that is the case, use option 2 above for those bands.

Which of these 3 options is your preference? Let us know in the comments below!

Finally, let us not be selfish and take the easy way out, be that giving up, or moving to satellite, or simply using the bottom ends or the popular 20kHz margin, and giving in to “5NN TU” activities.

Selfish it is as it does nothing to promote QTT nor defend A1A CW for the future.

Here would be a possible priority action list of how to achieve more Quality CW QSO and at the same time prepare for the future which does not bode well with anti-CW elements in control of so many amateur radio national society IARU members:

1. Go to the band of your choice of the moment and first listen to the International Beacon Project beacons, in fact, program these are the starting point for your tuning on the higher HF Bands: 14100, 18110, 21150, 24930, 28200. Each of the 18 beacons spaced around the entire world transmits for 10 seconds in sequence to a Ground Plane antenna with 100W for the Call Sign and first dah, then 10W for the second dah, 1W for the third and 0.1W (100mW) for the third.

2. Tune down from there looking for CW to listen or reply to, or find a free frequency to call CQ. When you reach the digital noise, tune back UP again, NOT DOWN, and continue past the IBP Beacons to the top end of the SSB band, looking for CW Signals.

3. If you still haven’t found anything, tune back down from the top of the SSB section to the lower CW section just past the digital noises looking for CQ calls to reply to, and if nothing is heard, and you wish to remain on this band, call either below or above the digital noise, or at the very top end of the SSB-CW shared band. Otherwise, check another HF Band. Don’t call CQ below the TOP9.

UPDATE: Alternatively, try calling on the QSX / Calling Frequencies.

This strategy increases defense of the CW band, establishes a new meeting place at the upper end free of QRM, and does not encourage resorting to the 5NN TU lower portion of the CW band when calling CQ, so that more and more A1A operators will at least gravitate to the top ends of the band.

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