Interesting issue that is getting more and more relevant with SO2R and the
competitive pressure for multipliers. I lost my run frequencies several
times on the ARRL CW weekend when I moved off to move another station, and
there were several times that we moved twice for three banders. When I got
back, the frequency usually was still OK, but 10-20% of the time another
station had picked it up and I had lost it. Fortunately, on CW, run freqs
are easier to find. They are tougher to replace and more valuable on SSB!
Personally, I will not contest losing a freq in these circumstances when I
was the one to have left the run frequency. It's part of the competitive
trade off. On the other hand, if I have found a freq and the former
"owner" returns after I am established, it's mine, and I will not release
it if it is clear to me that I did due-diligence. If the former "owner"
wants to fight it out, then the station with the better propagation/antenna
will win. However I have found that once you are a veteran, and know a lot
of the guys, they will honor the fact that you are there. If I tell the
station that "sorry Joe, I have been here two minutes and have made four
QSOs. The freq is in use." That works 90% of the time. If the other
station is a poor sport, and wants to take it under those circumstances,
that's considered poor sportsmanship, and the bigger names usually don't
allow that to happen. I have reported a couple of bad apples to the big
M/Ms and they usually take care of this conduct.
Jim
Interesting incident during the ARRL Phone on 15m early this morning.
>
>Decided it was time to do some CQing. Found a completely open frequency.
>(nothing but band noise) Asked whether it was in use. Response: 2 seconds
>of band noise. Ask again. Again, response: 2 seconds of band noise.
>
>Call CQ & begin running. (unfortunately not at a very good rate<g>) About
>5 minutes later, a W1 shows up & starts insisting it's his frequency.
>
>Two possible explanations:
>
>1. He was off chasing a 2nd radio QSO & didn't listen on his run
>frequency during the six seconds or so I spent trying to determine whether
>it was occupied.
>
>2. Incredibly directional antenna and no backscatter.
>
>Moral of the story is: if you're going to be SO2R, you *must* either pay
>attention to your first radio during your Radio 2 QSOs, or you *must* be
>prepared to find a new run frequency. SO2R makes run frequencies scarcer;
>people are getting less likely to surrender run spectrum they legitimately
>believed was unoccupied.
>--
>Doug Smith W9WI
>Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
>http://www.w9wi.com
>Due to excessive spam, messages from uu.net are deleted unread.
>
>
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