[CQ-Contest] RE: VK5GN pileup control and Homer

[k1dg at ix.netcom.com]

VK5GN said:

>If he slows down both on phone or CW follow it. He has reason for
>everything. I slow down on phone for difficult to copy foreign accents
>like those from Georgia and Alabama (partly humerous and partly true!) .

Last October at PJ9B, with about 2 hours left in the contest on 15, I simply 
ran out of U.S. stations willing to work me at the "300+ style" (QSO 
terminated by my caffeine-accelerated callsign only). The band was still 
open well, with loud signals, but I was trying to go too fast and the rate 
was down in the 110 range and dropping. So I needed to adapt. I slowed it 
down. Wayyyyy down.

The next KD4 that called me was greeted with:

"Keelo Dalta Fowah Ex-a-ray Yankee Zooloo, this is Pappa Johnny Niner Ba-
ravo. Good to hear ya, buddy. Yer fahv niner here in Zone niner on th' 
island of BO-nair. Mah name is Homer - that's H-O-M-E-ARRRR. Go 'head."

He gave me a report, and I acknowledged with:

"Okey-dokey. Copied that just fahn, OM. Thanks for the KewSO and we'll see 
yew agin down th' ole log. Kew Are Zed contest, this is Pappa Johnny Niner 
Bravo on th' island of BO-nair".

Several shocked members of the PJ9B crew stared at me, quite sure I'd 
suffered sunstroke. And another KD4 called in and I gave him the same deal. 
Then W3UM, who was listening in the second headphones, grinned as the 
previously-quiet frequency started to fill with 4s and 5s calling in to say 
howdy to Homer. The rate meter climbed back up into the 200s and bounced off 
300 at one point. I also politely invited some of the callers to "head on 
down to 20 meters and work our other station if they weren't too busy", 
since "we shore would appreciate the KewSO there, too". Some of them did.

N4RV, the quintessential Southern Gentleman, listened to the whole thing 
from the 40 M station across the room, and drawled, "DG, that accent is 
terrible! You sound like a drunk from Tennessee who got lost on his way to 
Mississippi!". But he was smiling, and I figured he wasn't too insulted. 
After all, a Yankee boy with a damnYankee name like Grant is bound to be 
drawl-impaired. But the rate held up.

I kept this up for an hour or so. K1AR stopped by the frequency and asked me 
what the heck I was doing. Told him I was just getting the rate up, thanked 
him politely and then went back to Kew Are Zed from BO-Naire. When the hour 
was up, and it was N3BB's turn at the mike, we were comfortably back on 
track to break 5000 Qs, which was the goal. 

The rate dipped a little, and after about 15 minutes, Jim turned to me and 
said "I know why it's gotten quiet - there's a bunch of guys listening on 
the frequency waiting for Homer to come back on so they can talk to him."


The point of this completely true and hopefully at least partially humorous 
story is that pileups have unique characters, but so do quiet frequencies on 
open bands. Flexibility and establishing control in the right style is the 
key to success.

Doug K1DG

p.s. Another vote in favor of N6TJ's new scoring system. Imagine an 
expedition on every Zone 8 island, with a real chance to compete against the 
South Americans. Except HC8N, of course, who will continue to get 4 points 
for every QSO. 



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