On Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:34:34 -0400, N2EY wrote:

Just noted a new thread over on eham.net about how SWBC is supposed to
vacate 7100-7200 kc. Which will make 40 meters much more usable for
'phone, particularly at night. It will also hopefully take some
pressure off 7000-7100, because non-US Region 2 hams on 'phone won't
need to go below 7100 to get away from SWBC QRM.

The thing that got me was that the change goes into effect March 29,
2009 - less than 8 months from now! I remember reading about it back
in 2003 and thinking "that's years away...."

It's already legal for many Region 1 operators to use 7100-7200; I've had
a number of simplex QSOs with Europeans up there.

(in other words, don't wait until next March!)

The SWBC problem on 40m is a LOT less than it was just a few years ago.
It's too bad that shortwave broadcasting in general had to be decimated t
o
achieve it...