[CQ-Contest] Packet Pileups -> Breaking Pileups

[Jeffrey Steinman]

In CQWW CW I could tell, at times, that I had been spotted as a sudden
flurry of loud M/S or M/M stations would call. Of course the first night was
chaos any time I changed bands and was fresh meat. There are 2 main problems
for me as the DX operator with these big pileups:

1) It slows me down. Yes, Virginia, the pileup can be too big. Better to
only have a few calling
2) When I go back to someone often they can't hear me through the pileup -
so I have to repeat the exchange/their call again. (probably less of a
problem for a loud EA8, though) Again, slows down the rate..

I don't think packet is going away. So we need to learn how to deal with
this. There is one simple thing a good operator can do, on both ends of the
pileup, to try and improve the rate:

Don't call ZERO BEAT with me!!! When the pileup gets big I start to [TRY]
QSX up 200-300 Hz. Do I announce it? No! But I wish more people figured it
out.... Especially you guys who aren't running big antennas/QRO. It's often
that I was working a station who was S5 and called me up 300 Hz instead of a
59+20 station who was calling me on my frequency, along with 10 other 59+
stations. CW is not SSB, where the loudest guy usually gets through first.
CW is more about timing and calling on the right frequency. i.e., it's more
about skill. 

I suppose I could have worked split by announcing "up 1" but as a general
rule I don't think contests are a place to work split. The only exception
made was on 160 Saturday night, where without it no one would hear me
through the ever calling mob. Pretty bad when I need to send "W3LPL W3LPL
5nn33 W3LPL" and W3LPL does not come back to me (cause people are still
calling). That's when I went split.

73

Jeff, N5TJ


--
CQ-Contest on WWW:        http://lists.contesting.com/_cq-contest/
Administrative requests:  cq-contest-REQUEST at contesting.com