[CQ-Contest] QRL?

[Doug Smith W9WI]

This post was triggered by a specific station (you know who you
are<grin>) but really is just a good general principle...

IF YOU DON'T RESPOND TO A QRL? CALL, YOU'D BETTER EXPECT TO FIND SOMEONE
ELSE CQING ON "YOUR" RUN FREQUENCY.

- In the bathroom?
- Working someone on the other radio?
- Antenna spun the other way?
- Computer locked up & had to be rebooted?
- Chatting with the XYL?

Doesn't matter.  I cannot know you're trying to run on 14.0xx unless you
*respond* to my QRL? call.  

===========================================

In the triggering incident, the other operator claimed #3.  His antenna
was on some other part of the world; he didn't hear me when I sent
QRL?.  Then got bent out of shape when he switched beam directions &
found a loud W9 station calling CQ.  I might suggest:

- Install a second antenna and a power divider, so you can listen in
your "normal" CQ direction while working someone in an unusual
direction.  Or:
- Don't rotate your antenna away from your primary run area during
periods when rate is important.  Or:
- Be prepared to run on the heading you moved your beam to.  (in this
particular case, the other op could have spun his antenna back to where
it was when I QRL?'d, and we could have easily co-existed on the
channel.  I'd had to do the same earlier in the contest when I didn't
hear a European station QRL? while my antenna was on Japan.)  

If the additional antenna isn't an option, then you're going to have to
decide.  Is that additional mult worth the risk of losing my run
frequency?  (during WPX, probably not<grin>!)
-- 
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN  EM66
http://www.w9wi.com