According to this post some Irish ops want more power for contest operation. The idea is that if they had more power,1.5Kw,it would help them compete with the big guns.
My biggest concern is that contests already cause a lot of problems and that increasing power limits will just increase the QRM levels and the frustration of non-contest ops.
Now before there is the usual howl that I am being anti-contest I am not! Contests have their place but they are not all that ham radio is about. I have said this many times but if you work during the week and only have Saturday and Sunday to pursue your hobby and then find it is impossible to have a ‘normal’ QSO there is a high chance that you might ‘go do something else’. That is what some contesters have advised and unfortunately many have complied.
Higher power will not change anything,the end result will be the same;those with the biggest antennas,biggest amplifiers and biggest bank balance will win. So what? What does that prove? What does that do for the hobby?
If you do not want the power increase in Ireland then please voice you objections by sending an email to Thos Caffrey EI2JD at contestmanager@irts.ie or thoscaffrey@hotmail.com
An email/letter to the RSGB might be a good idea because you can be sure that if it happens in Ireland it will happen here!