Topband: CQ 160

[Don Kerouac]

Depending on your point of view, I could have been a model for the bad
boy club over the weekend.  This year I was stuck with receiving on my
transmit antenna.  As a radiator, it works well (shunt fed, 117' tall,
top loaded with shorty forty beam).  I can usually work DX with one
call.  As a receive system, it leaves much to be desired.  I was able to
squeeze out 19 countries through the noise.  By CQing, I was able to
make it into 1090 logs.  Most of the time, I had a pretty clear
frequency (hopefully, my much modified MK-V was reasonably clean!).
However, in the course of the contest, I had many experiences with
stations hopping on "my frequency" and working some phantom (to me) DX
station.  It was obvious what was going on and I just shrugged it off.
It was, after all, a contest.  Yes, there were times when it was very
aggravating, particularly when I was digging for a super weak new
multiplier.  However, it was in no way malicious.just part of the game.
Even when I've had the privilege to operate WB9Z's FB station, there
have been times when others worked DX that I/we could not hear.  It
happens.stations, conditions. 
 
As for spotting.I don't think you can shoot down a useful tool just
because someone uses it incorrectly.  Any experienced operator knows
that when a spot hits the cluster, there will be a nasty pileup.  Good
ops go looking for DX before it hits half the computer screens on earth.
I think some guys very much enjoy not using spotting and some do.  Not
better, just different.  Some guys use poor operating practices,
regardless of their use of the cluster.
 
All in all, I had a lot of fun and was soundly trounced by everyone who
could hear better than me!  As Tom said:  "None of us really don't know
if the two stations or more stations sharing a frequency actually hear
each other."  And "The problem is there are too many people in too small
of an area."  That is so.  Of course, we'd all like even more
participation!   :-)
 
73.Don, K9NR