Topband: Calling without hearing (was CQ 160 WW)

[Brian Moran]

Perhaps during every 'even' hour, domestic stations
count, while during every 'odd' hour, only
non-continental contacts (or perhaps non-same-country)
stations are counted?  

There were a bunch of times that I heard DX under CQs
of stations on the 2nd night (even calling the CQing
station!) they weren't working them, and with their
ownership of the frequency, neither was anyone else. 

I was disappointed to hear a US station ask a JA
station to QSY (as the band shifted to favor JA); it
wasn't clear that the US station was working anyone.

Of course, being a contest, DENIAL of contacts to
other contesters is also a strategy, I guess.