Topband: Pile ups

[Tom Rauch]

I know this is a touchy subject, so I hope it is received in
the correct sprit. Stations on one coast (take your pick
which one) complain about stations the other direction
working DX and preventing them from having QSO's,  but this
morning the east coasters were clearly their own worst
enemies.

We seem to not listen to or consider the DX stations
operating method. JA's are VERY well behaved operators, they
give short calls and listen. By the time W99XYZ sends his
call ten or twenty times, JA8ISU already called a specific
station and has given a report two or three times. He does
this, turns it back, and a half dozen people are still
calling or just finishing calling!!!

Now we all know much of this is because signals are weak and
we can't always tell what is going on, but the long calls
over and over again do nothing to help anyone. I can't think
of a situation where it every works. This is especially true
with JA's, who almost always have the good operating habit
of short transmissions and calls.

The best solution to this is split operation, but there
seems to be less of that these days. Since we can't work
split, shouldn't we at least try to call only twice and then
wait patiently?

I counted at least four east coast stations who were
answered and never made a QSO because no one took a breath
and listened. I hope this doesn't become a pattern on 160,
like it is on other bands.

What's wrong with dumping your call two or three times and
then waiting until you actually hear what the DX station
says or does? If you can't hear that, how do you expect to
make a QSO?

73 Tom