Topband: Re: DX Pileup Practices

[wb6tza@socal.rr.com]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Rauch" <w8ji@contesting.com>
To: <topband@contesting.com>; <wb6tza@socal.rr.com>
Sent: Saturday, March 02, 2002 4:50 AM
Subject: Re: Topband: Re: DX Pileup Practices


> > pleas for XX station ONLY typically fell on deaf ears. I
> > NEVER took tail enders,
>
> What is defined as a "tail-ender"?
>
> I assume you mean calling **before** the DX station has
sent "TU"
> or whatever the final close of a contact is?

I would like to take some bandwidth to make my defintion
clear as it is a VERY sore spot for me - on ALL bands.

I do NOT EVER want to hear another callsign or signal until
I complete with the chosen station.  Thats fantasy, I know,
but, the part I find VERY objectionable is for another
station to transmit his call - often several times -
zerobeat or nearly so - with the station I am listening to.
It invariably causes me to send the exchange again to give
me the chance to copy the chosen station well enough to make
sure he DID get the exchange, AND that I have his callsign
right.  I COUNT on the chosen station to correct me if I
have a letter wrong... and on top band in a QSB and noise
filled pileup, mis-copying a letter is common.

My personal practice is like this:  (using a random unknown
call)

CQ XZ0A  (I hear W4N)
W4N? W4N?
(if signals are weak, I send it twice)
Now I hear W4N?, K2P?, W1B? K2T, etc..  folks who dont have
ANYthing in common with the partial)
W4N? W4N?
(now I hear W4N?B)
W4N?B W4N?B
(someone sends his own call on top of him )
W4N?B W4N?B
(the process repeats) ( now I hear WA4N?D)
WA4N?D ?
(now I hear WA4NTB)
WA4NTB WA4NTB 5NN
(Now several folks send their call on his freq and I can't
even tell if he is transmitting, so I wait for the lids to
stop sending long enough for me to see if he is
transmitting - I only hear a character or two)
WA4NTB WA4NTB 5NN
(then I hear him send his call again - so I presume he
didn't copy me, or maybe I have his call wrong)
WA4NTB WA4NTB 5NN
(Again several folks send their call on his freq so I dont
hear him)
WA4NTB WA4NTB 5NN  (then I finally hear him send his
exchange)
R XZ0A UP

I dont want to hear ANYONE else call until I have sent my
callsign.  I carefully NEVER send my call unless I expect
the pileup to call me.

What a waste of time and effort!  And I didn't bother to add
all the repeats for legitimate QSB.

I do know that fast sharp ops on the higher bands can make a
running list of calls they hear and work them 4 or 5 at a
crack.  This is just fine on 20 meters where signals are
probably at least 10 dB out of the noise.. On top band, 10
dB out of the noise is a VERY LOUD signal, and QSB is king.
This technique does NOT work with weak and fading signals.
What is more important is that the DX operator is the one
who decides what sequence and practice to follow.  A good op
uses a stready technique and doesnt vary the routine.  It is
not important WHAT practice the DX op chooses, it IS
important that we FOLLOW it.   The closer we get to his
practice, the faster the QSOs go.


> I agree with UVZ George's comments. Spreading people out
over
> 5kHz is pretty wasteful with a small frequency area used
like 160.

I dont see the issue under normal circumstances.  The band
is NOT 5 KHz wide, it is 200 KHz wide. (realistically about
50 KHz considering antennas). If I am running on 1825.5, the
pileup will naturally extend from about 1827 to about 1831.
If I want to use the fast QSX change, I might choose a lower
transmit frequency  (especially if the daily dawn SSB folks
arent on 1823 anymore), and try to keep the pileup out of
1830-1835.  I would probably then pick something like 15 for
a momentary QSX... or maybe 38.  I am sure I would try to
vary the decision based on conditions and band occupancy.
Its not fair to dump a pileup on someone elses run freq,
but, there are not often several pileup class DX stations on
at the same time from the same part of the world.  Maybe in
the upcoming solar minima there will be, and this technique
will not be appropriate.

> Perhaps a more efficient cure is to educate people to
avoid long
> calling or calling when they can not copy the DX enough
for even a
> marginal QSO, rather than taking up 5kHz.
> 73, Tom W8JI

Well, I am afraid thats fantasy, just as is my desire to
hear NO-ONE but the station I chose!  I must also point out
that there are a lot of folks who are honestly trying to
operate in a fair and reasonable manner who do NOT have the
benefit of the top class station performance you enjoy.
These folks TRY to fit themselves in, but with weak signals
and QSB, there will be honest mistakes. I can deal with
that.  What I cannot deal with is the folks who deliberately
"tail-end", or transmit till all the smoke is gone.

73

Robin , WA6CDR/XZ0A/XZ1N