[CQ-Contest] Zero Beat packet pileups-a solution ! QZB

[ku8e]

Mike,I personally experienced what you described this weekend.  I got on the air remotely on Saturday night as PJ4/KU8E after PJ4A (K4BAI) was finished for the day on 15 meters. I purposely went high in the band on a clear spot on 7080. I was immediately greeted with a large unruly pileup of stations that would continually call even if I didn't come back to them. The worse offenders are the large Eastern European contest stations. Plus I was only running 100 watts. The antenna at PJ4 is a yagi on a 90 foot tower on one of the highest hilltops on Bonaire. Just imagine how bad it might've been if I decided to turn on the amplifier? Stan, K5GO described the exact scenario on his 3830 post when operating from ZF5T. He made the comment that maybe he would've been better off running 25 watts instead of a KW. I'm an experienced contester that's use to this behavior and I would totally understand if a new contester in a rare location would just turn off the radio if they experienced this.  As someone who has operated from the Caribbean a lot my advice is when you call someone that has a big pileup never call then zero beat on their frequency. Call either high or low and you will increase your chances of getting thru.JeffSent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
-------- Original message --------From: Mike Smith VE9AA <ve9aa at nbnet.nb.ca> Date: 12/1/20  5:36 PM  (GMT-05:00) To: cq-contest at contesting.com Subject: [CQ-Contest] Zero Beat packet pileups-a solution ! QZB A relatively new phenomenon has emerged more prevalently in contesting on CWin the last few years.  I think in part to the RBN (which I am not knocking, as I benefit from itjust like the rest of my CW brethren),. Namely, small 'packet pileups' ALL ZERO beat on your running frequency.click click click. So, the N1MMLoggerPlus Dev team recognized this a couple years ago and nowhas an option to randomly offset spots when "clicking on spots". Awesome.Smart guys, that crew. Not everyone who runs N1MM uses this feature however. I don't know if other loggers do this, but maybe or maybe in the future? For those that don't know to keep tweaking their XIT around or to randomizespots in N1MMLoggerPlusI propose a new Q signal used only in contesting, namely "QZB" which canmean anything from, "please don't zero beat me like the other 10 guyscalling" or "turn on your XIT please" or anything to that effect. I know there are guys out there that can do 5000-10000 Q's per weekend andnot be bothered with a zero beat pileup, but for us mere mortals not in arare location with the benefit of always having MANY callers, (some louder,some keen to the ways of the XIT control) then we need another way toinstruct the (smallish) pileup that it sounds like one tone.  I tried ?, Itried AGN, I even tried "XIT" once.and lo and behold it actuallyworked---once.  Maybe I got lucky with a guy that just wandered by orsomeone who knew what it was.  I dunno. I tried everything I could think of, and nothing really worked.  Always thesame solid tone.  More callers always solved the problem, but a VE9 is notexactly rare in CQWW, thus the issue.  I am sure every CDN,  USA and a lotof EU stations were in the same boat, save the Zone 2 lads..they're prettyrare. I was so relieved when a superstation called in, overpowering the pileup, orothers joined in and we'd get those folks that would know to call 40Hz high(or low) and then I could work them and move on. So, QZB..remember it, use it..(free of charge of course).now we have toalert CQ, ARRL, WAE, RDX, NAQP to this new Q-code.  Who will get the wordout? No, it's not April 1rst ! CU (all of a sudden) in the next one ;-D Mike VE9AA "5"...or "NB"   Mike, Coreen & CoreyKeswick Ridge, NB _______________________________________________CQ-Contest mailing listCQ-Contest at contesting.comhttp://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest