To VU2UR Regional 3 MS Coordinator

RAST Monitoring Report: - For October 2005

This months report from Thailand is short, due to my visit to Spain, followed by a family holiday to Phuket Island, and then contest activities.   I have recently written to the RAST committee requesting assistance with monitoring and logging efforts. We will have to wait and see how many people are able, or willing to respond to my request.   Several amateurs I have recently spoken too are basically unaware of the amount and type of interference that is present on our amateur bands.  

I have included with my request, several copies of my monitoring reports submitted to the region three coordinator VU2UR. All records have been kept on a single CD and have been sent to the RAST commit for distributions. The CD contains all monthly reports, pictures, and sound files. Any one interested in receiving a copy I am willing to sent them one, via post.

Monitoring for this month of October has been confined to general observation, no logs are submitted.

Band condition seems to have been in better shape than predicted, considering the low point in the sun spot cycle. During the CQWW contest, many JA's European African and US station were loges on 10 meter.  

For some strange reason during the contest the daily QRM on 10 Meters from the squawk box operators, constantly clinking away was absent. Also gone, was the wall-to-wall QRM from telephone operators and pirates on the 40 metres band. The 20 metres and 15 meters bands suffered very little QRM from OTHR systems, and what little there was, was confined to spot frequencies, for short durations only.

This year's absence of QRM during the contest weekend made Dxing a pleasure. I wonder if the QRM makers are amateurs and switched off the QRM machines in order to enter the contest?

When band condition avail I join the USA West coast net called the family hour on 14.245 Mhz at 1400 Hrs. The path has not been open more than several days this month, favouring instead a short skip into Europe around theses times. Unfortunately there are several Italian stations that constantly occupy the DX window, which courses adverse comments on the DX Internet web site clusters.

Neither station has ceased using the DX window on 20 meter for several years.   I have attempted to work one particular station, that chooses, or is not able to reply, preferring to chat to some other imaginary station. I have never been able to monitor both sides of any of the QSO's.

Whilst in a broad sense this activity does not constitute interference, it does however require corrective measures, with reference to bad operating practice.

RAST appointed MS coordinator for Thailand

S.K Street HS0ZEE