There's nothing wrong with asking "who's the DX?", as long as you don't
do it on the DX's transmit frequency -- unless of course he's operating
simplex and you're in QSO. A few crusty DX ops might come back with
"why did you call me if you don't know my callsign?", but a response of
"to get to know you better" generally disarms them, or at least sets
them to sputtering.
Its true that QRM on the DX frequency is making it increasingly harder
to listen for the callsign yourself, but your saying ANYTHING on that
frequency only makes the problem worse. When the urge to do so gets
really bad, I reach for a scrap of leather (kept nearby for just this
contingency) and bite down hard.
73,
Dave, AA6YQ
-----Original Message-----
From: rtty-bounces@contesting.com [mailto:rtty-bounces@contesting.com]
On Behalf Of W0YR@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2004 12:57
To: jjreisert@alum.mit.edu; k8do@mailblocks.com
Cc: rtty@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [RTTY] RTTY YV0D
Jim & Denny,
You can't win in a situation like this. The gadget boys, instead of
tuning
around and looking for DX, now read funny books and monitor the DX
clusters
waiting for someone for find the DX and spoon feed it to them.
Far fewer ops actually sit, tune and look for DX any more.
Besides all this, the DX stations apparently get some kind of ego trip
out of
NOT giving their callsign --- or giving it ONCE, quickly. If some
kilocycle
kop is transmitting on top of the DX and his callsign blip gets
obliterated,
and should you be so foolish or bold to ask, "Could you please repeat
the
call?" you are instantly flamed by the all knowing "Hairy Chested Packet
Watcher."
Last month, after sitting for 20 minutes to hear the callsign of a DX
station, I broke (modern) protocol and actually had the NERVE to ask who
the DX was?
I was instantly inundated with berating comments, the stupidest of which
was,
"It's on packet. If you want to know who it is, turn on packet."
In order to be of maximum service to the packet kings I have recently
begun a
new service. I find and work DX and then post the DX on the packet with
one
small error in the callsign. YI1DD might become YI1BD, just enough of
an
error that when the packet kings send for their cards (never having
actually heard
the callsign of the station they worked -- and never asking for it),
they'll
get a nice "SRI, not in log" reply.
I figure its their comeuppance for taking such a lazy, simplistic and
offensive approach to working DX.
I actually had the effrontery to SEND YT0D's callsign in my CW, RTTY and
Sideband exchanges. I know that hacked off a lot of people. TFB!
Don't give up on good operating practices.
Don't be afraid to ask for the other guy's callsign if he hasn't given
it
after a reasonable amount of time.
Don't be afraid to send his AND your callsign if you want to.
I don't think it's new hams who are doing this. The very fellows (and
ladies) whom we should be helping along are cowed by the
all-encompassing rudeness
in our hobby and it has lost a lot of its attraction.
I wonder if YV0B is still on?
73
Mike
W0YR
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