[CQ-Contest] How frequent to ID? Every QSO? No way!

Eric Hilding dx35 at hilding.com
Wed Jan 19 00:54:29 EST 2005


Doug, VE5RA wrote:

 > Now look at the above from the view point this time of a station already
 > in the pile-up.  You come along and want to bully the other stations
 > calling (that's you or me me me at the expense of others).  As one low
 > power operator stated not iding every QSO gives the weaker calling
 > stations a chance to work the 'DX' in a smaller pile-up.  Bullying your
 > way past the weaker stations is sportsmanship? Come on, it exude
 > selfishness.  Is it right for you to push past others who have been
 > waiting longer than you?

To the best of my knowledge, there are no "first in, first out" rules for 
pile-ups.  The closest thing would be when a DX station is specifically 
working by call areas.

QRP & Low Power ops get a break in the final scores, NOT in the pile-ups 
themselves.  All the more reason why these ops need be smarter at 
"out-operating" the "bullies" (as I think you are referring to the 
High-Power entry class ops).

When I was operating a contest in the Caribbean last year, near the end of 
the event there was a sizeable pileup where so many loud stations were 
almost dead zero beat that it was nothing but a pumping mass.  I sent QRZ 
(hoping someone would be smart enough to QSY a bit).  Yup...while everyone 
else stayed put in an unintelligible mess, smart-thinking QRP op Dale, 
KG5U, went up from the pile sufficiently and stuck out like a sore thumb 
(even though not as strong as everyone else).  Guess who I worked 
next?  Yup.  And to his credit, Dale did not sign KG5U/QRP (Thank God).

I actually sat there chuckling at the time and made a mental note to 
compliment Dale when I got back home.  Umh, I was a bit tardy in doing so, 
but finally did send Dale an email with congrats for his skillful 
assessment of the situation and sharp operating at the time.

QRP & LP ops take note:  The Biblical story of David & Goliath has 
practical application to contest operating...if one substitutes frequencies 
for stones :-)

73...

Rick, K6VVA




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