[CQ-Contest] The Calling Disease

[Joseph.Giasi]

George, I can see the problem from the running station's perspective when an op like that WA3 just keeps interfering with making the other contact. I remember an SA station in a recent contest who would just keep sending his call over and over again - while the DX was calling cq, during the exchanges with other stations, endlessly - and as loud as possible. Finally, the DX had to work him just to make him go away, like you had to do with that WA3.

I guess there's no good approach to that kind of situation. 

Joe, W2QQ


On Nov 28, 2011, at 5:13 PM, George Harlem <george.harlem at gmail.com> wrote:

> I need to offer an admission.
> 
> Like most, I too deplore this ugly habit of some lids.  Running in SS CW
> earlier this month I was called by a weak station and a very strong station.
> I went back to the weak station with (not the actual prefixes) "K4?".  The
> very strong WA3 again came back on top of the K4.  I sent "K4?" again.  Same
> thing.  Then "K4 K4?".  Again the WA3.  So I worked the WA3 and
> intentionally failed to log him.  Yes, I let my emotions get the better of
> me.  Pity that the K4 moved on, but I felt justified.  I'm not sure there is
> any way to change that WA3's behavior.
> 
> George W1EBI
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com
> [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Joseph.Giasi
> Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 12:58 PM
> To: cq-contest at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] The Calling Disease
> 
> But you also have to educate the DX operator who encourages this stupidity
> by failing to observe good DX practices. As a "little pistol" I have lost
> count of the number of times I have run into the following scenario:
> 
> 
> 
> After spending 15, 20, 30 minutes or more trying to work the DX (using all
> of the usual tricks - tail-ending, calling slightly off frequency, trying to
> time my call to be first one heard, etc) finally:
> 
> 
> 
> DX op - "QQ"
> 
> Me - "W2QQ" and my response is drowned out by a bunch of high power stations
> not one of which has a QQ suffix 
> 
> DX op - Instead of "only QQ" (which would be good practice) goes ahead and
> works one of the stations who called over me
> 
> Me - "what the f.?" (in my head, not on the air)
> 
> 
> 
> So, now, do I continue to try to work this DX or do I move on to someone
> else? Sometimes after this has happened a couple of times in a contest, I
> switch off the radio and find another, more satisfying, activity.
> 
> 
> 
> There are some DX ops (maybe even a majority) who will not allow the
> stations with the calling disease from taking over the pile-up; they will
> ignore all the other callers and stick with the station they called out
> until they have completed the contact. I'm sure their run-rate takes a
> momentary hit, but they have controlled the pile-up and by maintaining order
> I suspect improve their overall results. 
> 
> 
> 
> On the other hand, by rewarding those with the calling disease, a DX op
> merely helps to perpetuate the problem. Of course, it's not a problem for
> him since he makes a contact whether it was with me or the station that
> called over me.
> 
> 
> 
> So, I think there needs to be education of both the stations with the
> disease and the DX operators who encourage it.
> 
> 
> 
> Joe, W2QQ
>