[CQ-Contest] Packet pile ups - do we need them?

[Martin Luther]

I have generally viewed packet spotting as an interesting piece of
technology. Un-useable here in Vk but generally benign as long as it is kept
to its own class. It is NOT single operator.

However, after this weekend I am increasingly of the view that it is a
danger to contesting. Or at least it is in the way it is presently being
used.

Let me illustrate first by some experiences this weekend. I was cq'ing on
40. I obviously got spotted on packet because it went from 4or5 in the que.
to something which resembled the pile up for a  dxpedition to a new island!
Now on phone that just makes me rub my hands with glee as I see how fast I
can clear it and get down to zero callers. Although I have previously
noticed it slows the rate. On CW my skills are less good. At best my
operating skills on CW could be called average. Controlling the mess is a
real challenge.

I observed what was happening and there were calls joining all the time they
demonstrated the following "crimes",

* Many did not check to ensure they knew what the vk5gn signal sounded like.
They would stomp in while I was extracting a call.
* Many were calling on a second radio. And when I went back with a partial
call they were not ready or not paying attention. I won't embarrass anyone
but these are big players in contests and ARE on this reflector.
* The signals seem to spread out slightly. This makes beating between
signals much worse than in a "normal" pile. I don't know if that is my
imagination or there is something in getting automatic spots that makes
everyone slightly apart. But not far apart enough to let me sort them out
with RIT.
* Some strong signals were not listening. Could have been the two radio
thing OR they had RIT on and while the TX landed in the right place on
computer command the RX did not.

The effect is different on different folks:-

First - our newbie contester. He has been S&P ing for a couple of contests
and thinks he would like to try a run. He gets on calls  CQ and quickly
makes a few QSO's. Boy is this fun he thinks. Then suddenly  he lets go TX
and this howling pack decends on him! He is not experienced enough to
control it. Anyway he is probably a long way from the centres of this stuff
in US and europe and probably running a lot less power so he cannot put a
commanding signal on the frequency. What is he to do? And what effect will
it have on his interest in developing contest skills.

Second - our keen contester just on this one to give out the mult, (what I
was doing this weekend.) The effect is irritating! The 40 pile mentioned
above I left and QSYed to 80 when I sent k4u?15 times. I should have got a
station whose call had a k4 and a u (I think it ended in u never did work
him) What I got was bedlam. I figured that if after 15 times I did not get
either the k4 or a clear frequency. By clear I mean no one calling me. Then
it was never going to get under control. I didn't go back to forty while it
was open to stateside.

Third - the keen contester trying to make a score. I've wondered what to do
and I think the answer is the same. Move. I did try something on 10 Monday
morning my time. The packet racket hit me and the rate decreased gradually
from 180 to 90. I needed a potty break so figured I had nothing to lose. I
came back to almost the same frequency only two minutes later. The rate
climbed back to 150 within 10 minutes., sure I had to cq a coupla times but
the rate was better and when I am cqing rate is what it is all about! The
moral for me on CW is leave the big piles and move. That is going to leave
mess and QRM on the band if a lot of us do that.

I don't see any of this being good for contesting or ham radio in general.
In fact I think that some of the poor techniques demonstrated in pile ups
have developed as a result of nets, packet etc. in general dxing.

There needs to be a discussion of what are appropriate techniques for
joining a packet pile.

It really is making contesting in  "semi rare" places  less fun than it used
to be!

73

Martin VK5GN



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