Who owns the frequency, Kenneth?

No one.

I received an interesting e-mail (which I have since answered and deleted) from an Amateur whose name and call sign I can't (and don't want to) recall. It started out, "Sir".

You know you're in trouble when you receive correspondance that starts out like that.

Anyway, the tone of the e-mail was gently chiding (this is NOT verbatim), "I see you recommend 14.060 MHz as a reference frequency for your Skeeter Hunt.  Don't you know that's only 2 kHz from the SOTA frequency? Your event may have caused interference."

I counted to 10 before replying, and I took time and effort to make sure that I was polite and charitable. I explained that 14.060 MHz has been the recognized QRP Watering Hole for like ..... forever. And since the Skeeter Hunt is a QRP event, it kinda makes sense we should be there.....no?  I also pointed out that the Skeeter Hunt happens once a year and it's only for four hours.

I wanted to go on, but didn't, lest I lose control and become sarcastic. But when you think about it - where the heck are we supposed to go?

Go to 14.062 MHz and you tick off the SOTA people.

Go to 14.058 MHz and you risk stepping on the toes of FISTS folks.

Go to 14.056 MHz (or thereabouts) and you risk the wrath of the County Hunters.

Go to 14.055 MHz and you will upset the SKCC people.

Go up to 14.070 MHz and you run into digital territory

See what I'm getting at?  Everybody has "their" frequency, but yet, NO ONE "owns" any frequency! Ahem, that includes nets! If the SKCC'ers happened to be holding their WeekEnd Sprint and wandered on up to 14.060 MHz, while the Hunt was in session, what am I supposed to do - lob grenades at them?  No, you just spread out and deal with it the best you can.

I wonder what this guy would have done in the "Good Ol' Days" when the bands were literally wall-to-wall with signals and you couldn't swing a dead cat and find an empty spot?

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!