agree about the packet - it is a great tool which has become bastardized...
On of the W1CW ops was puzzled why I felt it necessary to immediately
jump on a packet spot in a half a heartbeat - by weekend's end I am sure
it self explanatory. They turn into a mess of unending callers... there
is no strategy after a call has been spotted for a few minutes - it is
chaos on that frequency, I know ZF2NT has asked if the is a way to turn
off his callsign from the packet networks cause he hates the degraded
quality of callers once the spot goes out.
I listened on 160 a little and FM5GU was absolutely booming - sounds
like he may have been at a commercial broadcast sight!
K4OJ
webform@b4h.net wrote:
CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW
Call: N2NL
Operator(s): N2NL
Station: N2NL
Class: SOAB(A) LP
QTH: FL
Operating Time (hrs):
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160: 2 1 2
80: 29 12 26
40: 139 28 77
20: 133 33 97
15: 127 27 93
10: 91 24 54
------------------------------
Total: 521 125 349 Total Score = 673,080
Club: Florida Contest Group
Comments:
FT1000MP, R-7 vertical, 33ft loaded vertical for 80, salt water
Packet sucks
Radio time was very limited this weekend. I'm preparing to leave in a couple
days for a 2 month deployment which will keep me away from my family for the
holidays - so family prevailed. I decided to turn on packet to maximize the
club score for the time I had.
I'm beating a long dead horse, but there is a new group of contesters out
there. They are the "point-and-shoot" group who travel from packet-pile to
packet-pile. These guys will call over and over. They believe they will call
all the time so either they work him, or no one does. They try to beat their
packet-pileup partners by trying to be first to a new spot - they will call
without listening to see who's on frequency - often stomping a QSO in progress.
They are in such a hurry not to be left behind by their packet buddies on the
long packet-pileup highway that they don't listen to the call of the DX they
think they are working. A FS5 on 15m today was baffled why he had 10 dupes in a
row - he was incorrectly spotted as a FS7.
I'm not talking about the K3WW's out there. They know how to utilize packet
to maximize their score. They actually listen before they call. I'm talking
about the other bunch - and I'm sure everyone can name a few.
I project that these packet pileup chasers will start to hurt contesting, if
it hasn't already happened. I've seen it from both ends of the pileup. As DX,
it's frustrating to be called contstantly while trying to work someone. I'm
sure this turns many rare DX part-timers off completely since they don't want to
be on the receiving end of the madness. Part-time guys who are in it for the DX
will be turned off at the craziness of the pileups they have to break.
I'm sorry but I can't offer a solution. A good start would be peer
pressure. Single out Joe at the next club meeting and let him know he was
obnoxious last month. Otherwise it's just going to get worse as the new blood
doesn't know it any other way.
This will be the last time I ever use packet for a contest. Looking back,
my score probably would have been higher had I S&P'ed the entire weekend. The
time I wasted in pileups would have been better utilized by adding Q's to my
total.
Other than that, it was a blast. Conditions were extremely good. Best ears
go to 6Y0A and FM5GU for hearing my 100w on 160 with the 80m antenna.
Anyway, it's off to KP4 next week followed by 50 some days at sea. I'll try
to be QRV in the 10m contest as N2NL/MM - "R2" IS a mult - if you can hear my
100w/hamstick setup from the flight deck.
73, Dave N2NL
www.n2nl.net
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