[CQ-Contest] What happens when you spot

[Paul J. Piercey]

<SNIP>

Tree Said:

> 
> One thing I would do is let people know what frequency I was 
> listening on.
> This is a "secret" some of the recent DX peditions have been 
> doing.  It is great fun to start sending "37" a few times and 
> see how long it takes for people to start calling me on 10137 
> (for example) - while the people who just keep sending 
> without listening continue calling "up 1".  This rewards 
> those who listen and enables those without the strongest 
> signals to have a shot at working me.  
> 

>From where I sit, this is a rarity. I have heard many dxpeditions and dx
stations call for 10s of minutes without giving a callsign, even in
contests, and many more others giving a callsign and simply saying/sending
"UP". Up is a pretty broad swath. My radio doesn't have duel in-band receive
so I'm trying to hear the guy and hear who's he's working all at the same
time while switching from VFO to VFO. A simple "up 5-10 or, as in your case,
"37" is sufficient for anyone who can really hear you to get the hint.
Unfortunately, many pileups are full of people who call incessently and
policemen who continuously cover the DX station with their "friendly" tips.
All a product of cluster mentality, in my opinion. The DX stations figure
that they got a pileup because someone spotted them so they don't have to
waste time in giving out their callsigns. And as soon as a good one is
spotted, it seems the whole world shows up within seconds. It only means
that working the rare ones is going to get harder.

> However, even though I am having no problem attracing new 
> people, someone will want to show off that they found the 
> secret and make a post list this:
> 
> VE2XYZ    10109.4 HC8N        QSX 10.146.01                 
> 0311 21 Nov 2006
> 
> This serves no useful purpose in my book.  If you made the 
> spot and just indicated my TX frequency, then you have 
> alerted everyone that HC8N is on the band.  Then they can 
> listen - and hear what is going on and act on that 
> information and work me.  Posting the QSX frequency results 
> in a hord of people all calling me on 10.14601 - which is 
> next to useless and I instantly QSY and start listening 
> somewhere else.
> 

It serves no purpose IF you have been telling the pileup your listening
range. As I said above, many do not so a post like that at least gives the
waiting throng a bit of a clue to your pattern if you don't.

As we've seen in the comments about cluster use, not everyone has it
available so these DX stations need to be cognizent of that fact and not
rely on them to let everyone know who they are. Even domestic stations in
contests are notorious for this. Many a time I have been waiting and
listening to a station only to find that it is a dupe. It's been a waste of
my time and would be a waste of his if I call and dupe him. All this need
for speed must be counterproductive at some point.

73 -- Paul VO1HE