As usual, I was reading with interest the comments and notes about last
contest here on the reflector.
Just I've to say my opinion about contest's exchange and frequency
holding consequences.
Contest exchange
While it is my custom to say QRZ and callsign when I pile up, because
I find unfair and doubtly effective not to do, I want to point out that
not always the mistake and the arrogance belong to one "side".
1) While holding a small or big pile up it's bothering quite a lot the
people who "ask" .001 seconds after reaching the channel, not careing
if a qso is on.
Many times infact, just after a QRZ+call is sent, someone breaks in
shouthing "QRZ ?" or "Your call ?" so blanking a number of calls.
Who is "sqeezed" and who is trying to copy him can't be happy, who
jammed didn't save any of his time and should have no reason to be
upset if getting no answer or a "St-By!!".
Just few seconds to realize who is on and what's going on, helps to
reduce QRM and waste of time on both sides.
2) About 650 days before the year 2000 there are tools, like a nearly WW
packetcluster, where a sh/d by frequency (reading instructions helps)
range can solve in a while a call sign query.
The very most of the stations having a big pile up is spotted, their
call and not the fact they-give-not-often their call-sign is the only
reason to hold a big pile up for a long time, be sure.
Frequency Fightings.....
High Bands
Be prepared, this is goin' to be most actual as solar cycle 23 will
rise the sunspot number so really opening the higher bands.
Who lived at least the past 22 peak, can remember a 10m band full of
strong SSB signals starting from 28.250 and up to 29.000 and over, for
hours and hours, while the 15m band ....more than full (saturated),
some 20 hours per day.
Propagation is often selective and stations will run different pile
ups for hours whitout problems on the same frequency. Then, because of
skip, new beaming or changes in propagation one of the two, or both,
will start to hear eachother. This is short waves.
Starting quarreling doesn't help even if both honestly feel to be right.
When a problem like this is evident, it's generally the sign of a wide
open propagation.
If the propagation is wide open, the best solution is to spread.
No channel is inherently better if not that one with less QRM, no
matter if close to a band edge.
Who has brain should always use it....
Low Bands
Everyone knows how tiring is to work split, but 40 80 and sometimes
160m can't be productive otherwise.
In the crowd of a WW contest is a "pie in the sky" pretending a clear
channel for iso-frequencyal intercontinental QSO.
Even holding a channel for hours before a contest start, doesn't
produce any insurance to be left in peace with no one else calling
within +- 3Khz.
The same is valid even if your call is known and you have merit.
If you keept a channel for hours, if you have a fame and you have a
good setup it's more masochistic to waste time.
As soon as the contest starts the QRM is so big that no antenna can
overcome the QRM and the nicest array will be used at a fraction of its
potentiality.
Use your time to quarrel and be sure at least some good multiplier had
gone away the meanwhile.
Anyway, opposite to higher HF bands, this is going to be a marginal
problem within one or two years by now.
73,
Mauri I4JMY
i4jmy@migate.ampr.org
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