[CQ-Contest] Alligators and lids

[Bob Shohet, KQ2M]

I notice this more on 160 than on any other band.  A DX station is operating split and several US stations call repeatedly.  They continue calling while the DX station is transmitting and this happens repeatedly.  With some, endlessly.

Now I am not talking about people that make mistakes by occasionally calling out of turn, or started sending their call and then the DX station transmitted, or, because of the qrm/qrn continue to call because they hear some of their callsign letters and honestly think that the DX station came back to them instead of someone else.  No, I am talking about the serial offenders who operate this way as a defining trait.

I’m wondering, why continue calling when you obviously can’t copy the station that you want to work?  What’s worse, is that they continually transmit on and qrm the callers that DX station is trying to work.  This slows the rate down and frustrates the DX station and  callers.

This is not only bad operating practice, it is also rude, wastes time and is very selfish and spiteful.  This is not an occasional event either.  Examples of what I describe take place daily on 160, and many are repeat offenders – operating this way in almost every pileup.

And even worse is that there are those that can hear better, and when the DX station comes to K2XXX and sends “K2XXX 599”, W3ZZZ sends his callsign twice right on top of him.  The DX station then again sends “K2XXX 599”.  And again W3ZZZ sends his callsign twice right on top of him.  This behavior is 100% intentional.  W3ZZZ doesn’t care who the DX station is calling and he doesn’t care that he is intentionally qrming K2XXX who clearly is trying to work the DX station.  Nope.  W3ZZZ only cares about his own “wants” and everyone else be darned.

There is no excuse for intentionally operating like this.  Ever.

Let’s give the DXpedition stations (and the resident DX stations) a break shall we?  It is hard enough for them to spend a lot of time and money to travel to a foreign country, transport equipment and set up a station, deal with the local qrm/qrn on 160 and then have to be plagued with these kinds of poor behavior.  The least that we can do is clean up our operating practices and make it easier for the DX operator to work us!  

If you can’t hear then don’t call.  And if you can hear, then call only when you are supposed to and, PLEASE, wait your turn.

73


Bob, KQ2M 



From: Jim Brown 
Sent: Sunday, February 23, 2020 3:23 AM
To: cq-contest 
Subject: [CQ-Contest] Alligators

W6OAT and I are about 800 miles apart near Seattle and San Francisco 
respectively, and we both observed the same thing during CQ160SSB -- 
running stations that are very solid copy are DEAF. Contesters would do 
well to spend a LOT more effort on RX. Those who have not done so miss 
lots of QSOs.

And if you can't hear, please don't pollute the band with a big signal 
constantly CQing!

73, Jim K9YC