[CQ-Contest] Life in the World of Packet

[Jimk8mr at aol.com]

Two stories from my chair time at K8AZ in the ARRL CW test this  weekend.
 
1.  I can't say there is any connection, but early Sunday on 15  meters I 
heard a weak but copyable OE4A CQing away.  Several  calls got a "?" and one even 
a "K?" but no qso.  So I spotted him  anyway.  Maybe a minute later, I called 
him again and he came right  back.  Hmmmmm????
 
2.   Later Sunday morning I had been running around 21055  when a rather loud 
station starts up with a string of dashes, with varying  signal strength 
indicative of someone tuning an amp.  Then a very loud  7X0RY starts CQing away. 
Well, I figure no point in fighting, I'd just get my  qso (and new multiplier) 
and move on.  So I did, and moved up about a  KHz, and resumed CQing.  I kept 
checking back to see how soon a packet  pileup would ensue, but to my 
surprise, none did. Lots of unanswered CQs.   I only heard one other station work him 
(K2NV), and never did see any spots for  him. 
 
I guess even rare guys need packet help.
 
 
And nothing much to do with packet, but 557/N3BNA sure was an  interesting 
callsign.
 
 
73   -   Jim    K8MR