[CQ-Contest] N6TJ AXIOMS OF LIFE

[Bill Coleman]

On Jul 20, 2010, at 11:46 PM, Radio K0HB wrote:

> But I've another kind of "mini-spike" like you describe.  I've noticed it mostly during Sunday doldrums, but I think it may also occur at other times but is masked by a higher run rate.  This seems to be a "pack" or "convoy" of S&P guys moving up/down the band like you might see cars bunched up on a rural interstate highway.  The "leading" station works you, your signal is heard by "followers", and they each work you in turn as they pass down/up the band.

I think if you model CQ respondents as a very simple stochastic process, where the arrival of a respondent is a random function of some probability p (basically, a Poisson process), you will find it is not uncommon to have clumps or two, three or more simultaneous respondents, even for very small values of p. 

So, it is not difficult to believe that groups just show up, without any prior arrangement or anything other than sheer randomness.

I have noticed, though, that some of these mini-spikes tend to be people from similar geographic areas. Having on-air leaders and followers seems like a good explanation.

Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Web: http://boringhamradiopart.blogspot.com
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