[CQ-Contest] ARRL DX CW -- disappointing experience

[Art Boyars]

Bob said it best.

73, Art K3KU

On Sun, Feb 25, 2024 at 9:57 AM <kq2m at kq2m.com> wrote:

>
> On many occasions during ARRLDXCW I was using my FT1000MP with a PAIR of
> 250khz filters and then adding the Notch filter (manually tuning back
> and forth), IPO and shift/width (manually tuning back and forth) and
> Clarifier (RIT) manually tuning back and forth and NOTHING helped pick
> out any callsign. Sometimes for even as long as 1 minute I could not
> pull out a single callsign out of mass of endless callers.  I have even
> resorted to listening to the beats created by two stations with same
> signal strength on the same freq. calling at the same time at DIFFERENT
> SPEEDS, and then using that to discern a callsign while not actually
> ever the signal itself.
>
> The massive pileup was one thing, but the ENDLESS calling of stations
> that I had NOT called is something quite different - it was noticeably
> worse in this contest than any before and the trend has been getting
> steadily worse since a few years ago.
>
> Typical was when I came back with a FULL call:
>
> G8XYV 599CT and what I heard was:
>
> UA3ABC
> IK8ZZZ
> RU1AAA and several others calling
>
> 2nd try I again sent:
> G8XYV 599CT and what I heard was
>
> UA3ABC
> IK8ZZZ
> DL8XYZ
>
> 3rd try I again sent:
> G8XYV 599CT and what I heard was
>
> IK8ZZZ
> DL8XYZ
>
> 4th try I again sent:
> G8XYV 599CT and what I heard was
>
> IK8ZZZ and G8XYV (miraculously he was still calling me although
> sometimes a station would have left by now)
>
> and I finally logged the qso on the 4th or 5th try if someone impatient
> on the freq. didn't start transmitting QRL?  QRZ? or dumping
> their callsign in and wiping out G8XYV, or some lid started cqing on top
> of us.
>
> It was that out of control for many hours on Saturday and again on
> Sunday, turning 250+ hours in 180 hours and wasting everyone's time
> NEEDLESSLY.
>
> Frankly, it is MADDENING!
>
> Yes, I would much rather have this than a dead band, but why does it
> need to happen at all?  Occasional op mistakes are one thing; when
> sleep-deprived we all are unintentional lids at times, but THIS is an
> operating pattern that is spreading and accelerating rapidly.  It is
> just plain inconsiderate and DUMB to operate like this  -  the triumph
> of entitlement, impatience and spite (if I can't work him then NO ONE
> will work him!) over patience and the pride in demonstrating good
> operating skills.
>
> Morse Runner does not help with that and all the filtering does not help
> with that.
>
> If you are an offender then you are not likely reading this post on the
> CQ-Contest reflector, but if you are reading it, PLEASE KNOCK IT OFF!
> PLEASE LISTEN before you transmit and PLEASE CONTROL YOURSELF! Keep your
> impatience and whatever else you are feeling in check and operate with
> some courtesy and good skills and make the contest a more pleasant
> experience for yourself and everyone else.  If ops behave better then
> maybe in the next pileup you are calling in, YOU will get through that
> much FASTER?!!
>
> Here's to GREAT conditions and BETTER operating!
>
> 73
>
> Bob, KQ2M
>
>
> On 2024-02-24 16:49, Richard F DiDonna NN3W wrote:
> > Narrow up your filter and use the RIT.  It does work.
> >
> > Or hit Morse Runner for some more practice.
> >
> > 73 Rich NN3W
> >
> > On Sat, Feb 24, 2024 at 12:35 PM Tom Hellem <tom.hellem at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >>
> >> Pete:
> >> I’m not really seeing how the stations in EU not  hearing each other
> >> has anything to do with the problem.
> >>
> >> Here’s a typical exchange:
> >> I call cq. A pile of 8 stations responds. I copy DL5 and put it in the
> >> call sign field, hit F5 three times. The same 8 station pile comes
> >> back again, only one that I can discern having DL5 in the call. Rest
> >> are I, EW, UA, S5, etc. Repeat sequence 2 more times until enough
> >> finally shut up that I can get the DL5’s full call.
> >> Sound familiar?
> >>
> >> Tom H
> >> K0SN
> >>
> >> > On Feb 23, 2024, at 6:12 PM, Pete Smith N4ZR <pete.n4zr at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >> >
> >> > I would rank most of us below the Japanese when it comes to average
> operating etiquette, but it's worth remembering that particularly on the
> high bands callers often can't hear each other, and the "1X?" sort of
> obscure query can lead to a number of callers who have found the fragment
> in their calls (or close to) and choose to believe it's them..
> >> >
> >> > 73, Pete N4ZR
> >> >
> >> >> On 2/23/2024 5:56 PM, Tom Hellem wrote:
> >> >> Art et al:
> >> >> I had the same experience during the peaks of the high band openings
> to EU on both days. Nothing serves as a rate-killer like a bunch of
> stations all calling on the same frequency over and over. I have never
> experienced operating practice that bad in 30 years of contesting.
> Contrasted with the JA’s and to be fair, most other areas, it’s like night
> and day.
> >> >>
> >> >> Tom
> >> >> K0SN
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>>> On Feb 23, 2024, at 2:41 PM, Art Boyars<artboyars at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >> >>>
> >> >>> In case you didn't read my post on 3830scores.com (and why would
> you?)...
> >> >>>
> >> >>> I did Saturday night and a bit of Sunday morning at W3LPL.  When I
> got home
> >> >>> Sunday I did one "fresh meat" run on each band, 10M, 15M, 20M,
> 40M.  Great
> >> >>> rates, for 15 minutes or so.  However (quoting myself):
> >> >>>
> >> >>> A comment/complaint: Some of the European Big Guns (especially the
> >> >>> multi-op's) were VERY aggressive callers.  I'd send a partial call,
> and
> >> >>> several other stations would keep calling.  I guess they needed the
> MD
> >> >>> multiplier.
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
>
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