ARRL 10-Meter Contest
Call: K7IA
Operator(s): K7IA
Station: K7IA
Class: M/S HP
QTH: NM
Operating Time (hrs): 14:12
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
CW: 712 124
SSB:
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Total: 712 124 Total Score = 353,152
Club:
Comments:
Single Op, Assisted
Observations and food for thought:
There are many roads to Lidville, a rapidly growing metropolis populated by
Lids. Some roads are wider and more traveled than others, as we shall see in
the narrative that follows. In the "old days" of amateur radio, no
one wanted to be a Lid. Unlike today, "lid" was a relatively common
term used to describe an amateur with minimal skills, despite the more rigorous
licensing procedure in use then. However, there was both peer pressure and
Elmers then, also unlike today.
Where did the expression, "Lid" come from? I've never seen a
description in print, but the best one I've heard is from an Englishman, who
says it originated in the days of landline telegraphy. In those very early
days, telegraphy sounds were made by a relay at the receiving site, and the
relay would make a clicking sound at the beginning and ending of each element
of a character or numeral [Note: Morse was not the standard then]. Newbie
operators who couldn't discern the audible clicking sounds placed the lid of a
tobacco can (the flat shirt-pocket variety) against the sounding relay, and the
lid and can acted like a sounding board amplifier, similar to a violin or a
guitar. Operators needing cans were called "Lids." Talk about peer
pressure!
Amateur publications of the 1950's (my vintage) and earlier made use of the
word "lid," but the word gradually disappeared from publication
sometime after the 1960's (or so). But Lids haven't disappeared, and their
population is growing by leaps and bounds--just observe the pileups in contests
and in DXpeditions! This weekend's ARRL 10m Contest was no exception.
Every good roads has at least one fork in it, and every road leading to
Lidville has one. As with every fork in the roads of life, one must make a
decision about which direction to take. One may argue that there is no roadmap
showing the roads to Lidville, and therefore, the forks in the roads cannot
easily be found. So here I offer a portion of a map showing some of the wider
roads and their forks. May this help you (or someone you know or have
observed) choose your direction. The map principally applies to contesting and
DX ops, and not ragchewing. I title the roadmap bluntly, because the road sign
at each fork points to HOW and HOW NOT:
HOW/HOW NOT To Go To Lidville
Hwy 1:
HOW: The Lid makes no distinction between "Running Mode" and
"Search and Pounce Mode." As a Search and Pounce (S&P) Op, he
ignores operating practice that was established in the days of Spark and
traffic handling and makes up his own procedures.
HOW NOT: The efficient S&P operator knows that more QSOs per hour can be
made when every operator follows the same general procedure: The Running Mode
Op (the "Runner" here) occupies a single frequency and calls CQ
(which means I "Seek You" for a contest--or DX--exchange amd QSO).
The Runner remains on "his" frequency for as long as he/she sees
fit--tens of minutes to hours. Search and Pounce Ops (S&Pers here) tune
upwards/downwards on the band(s), looking for Runners to work. When an
"attractive" Runner is found (loud signal in the clear, crisp CW or
SSB, CW speed not too fast/slow, etc.), the S&P op tunes close to zero beat
and makes a call. Smart Ops know if their signal is far enough removed from the
Runner's frequency, their signal may be outside of the Runner's passband, and
the Runner may not even hear it. Furthermore, the signal may be in the
adjacent Runner's passband, causing needless QRM to him and the pileup he is
trying to work. Smart Ops also know that the best way to make an S&P call
is to send/say the callsign ONCE, without adding anything else.
An S&P Lid will: send callsign more than once; will add QRM
"fluff" like "DE," (which is understood to the Runner),
and/or will add time consuming and useless information like the Runner's
callsign (he already knows his callsign, and he should be the only Runner on
that frequency).
The Smart S&P Op is always thinking about ways of reducing QRM on the
Runner's frequency and of maximizing everyone's QSOs per hour.
To summarize the "standard operating practice:"
First, the Runner calls CQ (and identifies the contest in some way if there
is more than one during the weekend.
Second, the S&Per(s) respond by sending the callsign(s) ONCE. If there
is only one S&P caller, things are simplified--the Runner sends the
S&P'ers callsign followed by the exchange (and nothing else). If more than
one S&Per responds, then the Runner must attempt to pick out a single
complete callsign from the pileup. How he does that is anyone's guess, but he
uses the best CW reader ever designed--the brain. Frankly, I have no pattern
that helps me decide--even though my hearing is rather poor, it isn't always
the loudest signal in the group that I respond to. Somehow it "just
happens."
Third, the Runner waits for the S&P op that he called to respond. Don't
keep him (and the other S&Pers waiting!). The Smart S&P Op sends ONLY
his exchange, which may include an "R" or "TU" in CW to
indicate his confirmation.
Fourth, the Runner will cfm receipt of the S&P Op's exchange. The Smart
S&P Op will not leave the frequency until he/she has heard the Runner's
cfm!
The above is a bit lengthy, but it spells out the basics and opens descriptions
of other roads to Lidville.
Hwy 2:
HOW: The S&P Lid ignores Hwy 1 and does things his own way, destroying
the rhythm of a contest/DX exchange that maximizes QSO rate.
HOW NOT: The observant S&P Op does just that: He/she is always thinking
about and observing other Ops to discover ways to reduce QRM, needless
"fluff" included in addition to the required contest info exchange,
and how to emulate other Running and S&P Ops who appear to operate quickly,
accurately, and efficiently. Good S&P ops never send more than the minimum
required exchange. They never leave the Runner's frequency before the Runner
has confirmed receipt of the exchange (they realize that QRM, QRN, or QSB may
wipe out part of the exchange, so instead of confirming receipt, the Runner may
ask for a repeat. When Runners evaporate from the freq when I ask for a repeat,
I don't enter them into the log--instead, I create a note for my HOW/HOW NOT
essay file! S&Pers who evaporate waste my time and the pileup's time, so
be considerate).
Hwy 3:
HOW: The unruly S&P Lid sends his callsign willy-nilly, paying no
attention whatsoever to whether the Runner is transmitting, working another
S&P Op, or, in the case of nearly all DXpeditions and other DX Ops, working
"SPLIT frequency." He purchased his transceiver, and he's going to
get full use from it, regardless of whether he actually makes QSOs. He cares
not about the QRM he causes, because he's never thought of himself as a QRM
generator.
HOW NOT: The Bright Light S&P Op LISTENS to the Runner's frequency and
pileup (if any), and, in the case of busy pileups, he listens some more before
sending anything. Why? He wants to see if the Runner has a pattern to the
S&P Ops that he is working. If it's a large pileup, he wants to know which
signal actually belongs to the Runner, and not another S&Per. If the
Runner's callsign was spotted on the Cluster, was it spotted correctly (a
surprising percentage are incorrect, either by typos or by frequency of the
spot). The Bright Light does not want to put an incorrect callsign into his
log and either be penalized for it (in a contest) or have no LOTW confirmation
(ditto for paper QSLs and associated monetary expense). The Bright Light wants
to know if the Runner is listening up or listening down--even on a simplex
frequency (only a fool would exactly zero beat a Runner working a large
pileup). I describe here what I call the "thrill of the hunt," which
for me, make working pileups more enjoyable than the ho-hum of working a lonely
Running Op--anyone can do that! But after studying the pile and the Runner,
making the QSO with only one call is tops for me, and I'll wager it will be for
you, or someone you know, too.
Hwy 4:
HOW: If, in a pileup of S&P callers, the Running Op cannot get a single
complete callsign from anyone (see Hwy 1 above), then he must somehow get a
complete callsign and making a QSO before Ops in his pileup give up on him and
QSY. Some Runners simply call CQ again, but in my experience, that only
restarts the din of S&P calls, often leading to the same dilemma. If a
Runner can copy two or three characters of the same callsign, then he can send
just those characters with the hope that a (single) caller with a matching
callsign will reply. In a gentlemanly world ("The Amateur is
Gentlemanly"--per 1935 ARRL Handbook, and "Considerate" per 2010
Handbook"), every Runner would be answered by one S&Per with a match
most of the time, depending on the probability of those 2-3 characters (in
order) existing in one or more than one callsign in the pileup. But the
contesting and DXing worlds are far from perfect, because it is rare that
S&P pileup Ops have the self control to remain silent when there is no
match. These Ops are one on of the widest roads to Lidville, making one wonder
if they believe that the Running Op will change his mind about who he has
committed to work if they send their mismatched callsigns often enough.
HOW NOT: Gentlemanly/Considerate Ops remain silent whenever the 2-3
characters (sometimes only one) the Runner sends are not in their callsigns.
They know that an experienced Runner will whittle down the size of the pileup
more quickly if he is allowed to work the pile one-by-one instead of playing
cat and mouse with Ops who have little self control. I think it's safe to
assume here that all of today's Running Ops began contesting and DXing as
Search and Pouncers and that they spent a fair amount of time as S&Pers
before venturing into the world of Running. That was my process, at least.
One gets an entirely different perspective on things after making the
transition from S&P life to Running life, so I doubt one can place himself
into the shoes of a Running Op without actually doing it himself. However,
being a keen observer can be a pretty good substitute teacher, so I encourage
you to allow what you see and hear to be one of your Elmers!
Some roads are traveled by Running Ops, and I'll yield to brevity here:
Hwy 5:
HOW NOT: First and foremost, it is the Running Op and not the S&Per that
controls the discipline in a pileup. S&Pers look to you, whether they know
it or not, to make the pileups run smoothly, and there are a lot of ways you
can demonstrate your desire for a smoothly running pileup experience, and we
have seen some recent DXpeditions use some of them:
1. Once you commit to working a particular S&P caller, you must stick with
him until either both of you have made the QSO or the S&Per gives up on
making the QSO and disappears. If you ever abandon your commitment by calling
someone else, your pileup Ops will immediately know it, and you will lose
control of your subsequent pileups, "period."
2. If you are using a voice mode, then announce at necessary intervals your
policy about taking callers. this can be as simple as saying something like
"come on, guys, one at a time please" to something a bit more
"radical," such as announcing a 5 minute QRX with the hope the
pileup's behavior will improve (and possible future "time outs" of
longer duration if the trends continue). Clearly, this applies more to
DXpeditions than to contesting, but DXped Ops go to great efforts and expense
to enjoy their operations, and they don't want to lose operating time.
Obviously, in CW and RTTY modes, such announcements before the fact are not as
easy as with voice mode.
3. You can QSY, with or without an explanation--easy with voice, more
difficult with CW. I used to dread doing it, but since I added a P3 to my K3,
it's very easy to find an empty hole to run from. I've given to sending
"73" to the pile--the brighter chaps should get the idea.
4. You can QRT or change bands. That interferes with contest/DX strategy, so
it represents a cost to you, as does QSY (at least until you are spotted
again). I don't QRT any more--I enjoy the action too much for that.
5. You can take a long pause on your Run frequency followed by another CQ, but
watch out for the frequency thief who thinks he's found an empty hole. Timing
is everything!
6. What do you do with an "alligator" (big mouth, little ears)? You
know, the Lid who calls and calls while you are trying to work someone else or
who otherwise disrupts your pileup? Ideas vary, and I'd like to hear yours,
but I do the following: First, I try to ignore him and work everyone else I
can, despite the difficulty of hearing him call and call (and alligators have
big signals!) Ultimately, they QSY, probably without knowing what went
"wrong." Second, I realize that I will never be in a contest's
Winners Circle, so I operate for the action and for the fun (and the mental
stimulation that just might keep Mr. Alzheimer from my door), so I don't really
care about the points I accumulate. I can take a brief pause to let Mr.
Alligator disappear, or QSY, or QRT and do something else for a while. If all
else fails, I'll work him just to get him out of my hair, but I won't work him
later in the contest, and sometimes my logging might be just a bit sloppy, too.
I simply do not reward rudeness.
Hwy 6:
HOW NOT: The good Op will identify himself, and that applies to Runners,
too. In the days before spotting clusters, it was suicide not to ID yourself
after nearly every QSO. Granted, when you are spotted, you can quickly collect
and sometimes maintain a nice cadre of S&P callers who actually believe
there are no callsign typos or that closely spaced spots on the bandmap aren't
reversed (all VFOs worldwide are accurate, no?). Until recently, I've been a
holdout operating Unassisted, and it's a terrible slog to work S&P when
Runners don't ID until I and/or others begin sending "CL" or
"??" to wake up a chap who hasn't identified in the past 15 QSOs (no
kidding). Lately I've been operating Assisted, but that hasn't really solved
my problem, because of the plethora of errors made by chaps who submit spots to
the clusters (read: I still need to know who you are, and only you can tell
me). Is it over the top to ask for an ID at least every other QSO?
Hwy 7:
HOW NOT: Regarding duplicates, just work the chap again instead of sending
"dupe" or, in CW, "B4." Refusing to work a
"dupe" only shows your ignorance of how the Cabrillo log has changed
the impact of duplicate entries. Take a close look at many contest Rules these
days--they admonish all of us to NOT delete duplicates. It takes less time to
work a dupe than it does to argue with the caller, or, worse, tell the caller
the date and time you think you worked him. Rationalize the duplicate
caller--it's something to do while your QSO rate is low (you can see that I'm
not an SO2R Op!). Ask yourself: "This chap is calling me because I am
not in his log--will I be penalized by the sponsor if he hasn't logged me at
all?" Hmmmm…
Hwy 8:
HOW NOT: Pick a Running frequency that observes the Gentleman's Agreement sub
bands. Avoid, the QRP calling frequencies, the PSK, AMTOR, and other digital
freqs, the SSTV hangout, etc. The QRP guys cannot do very much, but some of
the SSTV and Digi guys can be downright militant. And, yes, when I worked for
a living and had only weekends to operate (before the WARC bands), the
contesters drove me nuts. I became one because I couldn't fight them! Be
considerate of those few KHz the other guys use. And, on the same topic, a
week ago a lot of us operated the ARRL 160m CW, marking the beginning of this
year's 160m season. There used to be, and there still should be, a "DX
window" in the 160m band. It's only 5 KHz, but its unfortunate how so
many non-DX Ops set up and run in the window. I've decided to stop working
non-DX there. How about you?
Hwy 9:
HOW NOT: No matter what our CW Running speeds might be, they are fast for some
chaps, and they are fast for some band conditions. There are some slow speed CW
ops who would like to do more in the contesting game, and I do not regard them
as Lids. Instead, I regard them as pre-contesters who, if they don't fill our
graying shoes, CW contesting and CW spectrum will become history. So here's an
appeal to encourage the slower chaps and make their QSOs with you enjoyable
enough to make them want to do what yours truly QRS op did a few years ago.
While you're at it, slow down a bit when band conditions get in the way of an
S&Per caller who is struggling to get your exchange--he just might be a QRP
op to boot.
I'll close here. These are the paved roads to Lidville, but there are still
some dirt roads, two tracks, and footpaths that can get all of us there. It's
late, so I'll just have MS Word spell check, and then I'll post. Truth be
told, in my early years, I've made every mistake described herein…
Kind regards,
dan k7ia
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