[Skimmertalk] Skimmer and WintelnetX (David Robbins K1TTT)

[Dennis OConnor]

Dave, below is a clip from email I sent to a friend today...  While it is about SSB on 160 this weekend, it is the unintended side effects of technology that is pertinent...
 
 
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I am patient and I know how to find DX - listen, listen, listen... I would sift through the noise going up and down the band... I would find a DX station calling CQ without a big pile up on him- I even heard one tuning up and waited and answered him on his first CQ... I would throw my call at them with a stomping 100 watts, and get,  'the station ending in Ontario'', I would give my call phonetically 3 or 4 times and stand by - and as the receiver came to life there would be 20 BIG signals on top of me, all screaming...  The tuner upper DX answered one of the big guns and after the big gun gave his exchange he had to ask the tuner upper for his call sign - and that is when it hit me what is going on... 
 
I didn't catch on Friday night when this happened a few times... But Sat nite I finally woke up...  It's your damned PRO 3.... It's your fault!  
 
That damned sweep display...  They are laying in the weeds watching the sweep... They don't see the new DX because he is down in the noise... But when I pop on trying to bag the DX my signal stateside is strong and is like lighting a bonfire on top of the mountain... Then they point-n-shoot on my signal, hear me giving my call, and instantly start hollering over top of me without even waiting to hear who I am calling...  
 
Another issue is DX Clusters... ON4UN who had a huge pile and was clearly having trouble hearing USA.. I listened for a bit and continued on up the band... In that time he jumped up the band ahead of me and I ran over him again mayby 60 seconds later with only a couple stations calling him...  I called (no joy) and perhaps 30 seconds later one of his ops said into a hot mike, "hey, xxx just spotted us on the cluster"  Within another 30 seconds it was a roar of stations - point and click on the DX packet screen, all screaming their brains out, none listening... I moved on...
 
This may have been my last SSB CQWW... It has for the most part been fun and I have some first place certificates to keep me warm on cold nites - but last nite took most of the fun out of it...
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denny / k8do