So, you sit there on a nice running frequency that you've had for a long
time running stations at a very good pace. As you spice your messages with
CQ or TEST the RBN network has been a good helper to so that the
Technically Skilled Operators can click on a spot to find and possibly work
you. Things are really at their best just now.
Then, all of a sudden this tremendous pileup comes crashing down on you
like a ton of bricks.. WOW.. you start calling some of the callers and
occasionally you get a contest message back, but the sync is not really 100%..
What happened, what ruined the fine run?
Well, the big gun who just set up shop next doors (5 kHz down) decided to
put his huge pile 5 kHz up, without checking if it was a clear frequency.
How and WHY would he check? Pileups are always directed in precise kHz
up/dwn 1, 2, 3, etc if not just a general 'up/dwn' is sent. The big gun
decided that 5 kHz was the split and he had found a frequency 5 kHz down
that happened to be free at this time. Or was it really free.. does it
really matter when working split?? Anyway, his pileup is now on your
frequency, no questions asked!
So even if the pileup takes up the same space where ever it's located there
is surely going to be a lot more confusion and aggravation when a huge pile
is being sent blindly to another frequency on a fully crowded band during a
contest.
And the need for the big gun to find an unused frequency is certainly less
important when he is not going to receive on his transmit frequency. His
spicy CQ TEST will immidiately be spotted by at least a handful of RBN
Skimmers around the world where he can be heard.
Alligator behaviour is ever present in contests and _extensive_ use of
split operation by a lot of stations is not going to make things better.
Don't get me wrong, I understand the problem when looking at it from the
big gun/expeditions perspective too. But to only discuss occupied frequency
spectrum is to simplify the problem too much.
73
Peter SM2CEW
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