Topband: CQ 160 WW

[LA5HE Ragnar Otterstad]

This years top band contest was a mixed experience. On one hand, a WW contest is always a thrill, but on the other hand this one was very frustrating. Why? Too many stations on too little room. This leads to a situation where you have, within minutes after the contest started, a string of pearls of strong (overpowering) stations continuously calling CQ TEST, often not hearing stations coming back to them. My frustration was that I heard weaker US stations calling under the strong europeans. If I tried to call one of them I immediately heard the europoean cry "QSY"
or "LID" or ... Evidently he did not even hear the other station.





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What you describe is excactly why I am not participating in this event.
I just go in for a couple of hours and working stations high in frequency, where there usually is less QRM.

BTW  The suggestion to send your call only once is a good one.  More than ever is DX lost due to  strong
EUropean station sending his call 3-4 times.   Even experienced topband  DXers are sinners !!

73  Rag LA5HE