[CQ-Contest] ID'ing and Score

[Robert Shohet]

Excellent points by W9WI, especially where the DX operator is asked (during
your qso) for Call? and then DOES NOT give it.  Not only a bad operating
practice, which wastes time, but rather spiteful as well!  Also, for those
of us who then HAVE to send ?, QRZ?, CALL?, how many times does THAT alone
slow down the DX stations rate, by causing an increase in qrm, etc.?   Sure
we can wait, but for how many qso's?  Two,? Five? FIVE MINUTES? Ridiculous!
All because the DX station chose not to id more often.  **NOTE** I am not
saying how often a DX should ID,  just that many should ID more often for
the benefit of all.

I would like to also point out, that due to the increasingly unruly nature
of many DX pileups, often, when the DX station sends his call, WE CAN'T HEAR
IT, because it is drowned out by a collection of people calling who are
either:

A) Not listening on the freq. having just arrived there from a packet spot
and immediately transmit,
B) Calling at THAT moment, to spitefully prevent the opr. who just qsoed the
DX station from hearing the DX call being sent,  (YES!  THIS REALLY
HAPPENS!)
C) Can't really hear the guy anyway but are praying that if they send their
call enough it might get heard in the pileup,
D) Can hear the DX station but want to get a jump on the pileup by sending
their call in the misguided belief
     that the DX station might hear a letter or two of their call before
anyone else calls,
E) Don't care if they work the DX station or not but want to spoil other's
chances to do so!
F)  Fill in the blank!

All this really happens in many pileups, increasingly often in the contests.
It is another reason why DX ops SHOULD ID MORE often, even if they think
they are iding enough already.  The DX station transmitting usually can't
hear the mess on his/her frequency so they should NOT assume that just
because they are sending the call, it is  being heard.

As has been already pointed out, many of the best operators ID the MOST
often.  It does not seem to adversely affect their score, if anything it
reduces dupes, establishes a pileup rhythm, discourages the necessity of
sending ?, QRZ, etc., and encourages faith in the competence of the DX
station so that you know that if you make shorter calls, you will have a
better chance of making the qso.  Iding MORE often  usually causes scores to
INCREASE rather than to decrease, not just for DX stations, but also for
US/VE stations as well.

One last item, it has also been pointed out by N5TJ and others that it is
important to listen "at the edges" of a pileup.
This increase rate, rewards "smart guys" with a chance to work the DX
station and spreads out the chaos a little so that it is now more possible
to dig into the pileup for mults, qrp stations, shorter callers, etc.  This
also increases pileup discipline, increase rate, rewards intelligent and
strategic operating by smaller stations, increases score and makes it MORE
possible for the DX station to be heard through the din.

Intelligence and efficiency always increase score, spitefulness and
inefficiency always reduce it.  If you are going to spend the time anyway to
operate, why not be smarter about it and enjoy the result?

73 and GL to all!

Bob KQ2M




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