Topband: Totally Deaf

[Michael Tope]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Harold Smith" <w0rihps at sbcglobal.net>
To: "charles Lewis" <s9ss160m at yahoo.com>; <topband at contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 24, 2006 9:22 AM
Subject: Re: Topband: Totally Deaf


> Hi Charles:
>
> Please don't give up just because someone who probably has never operated
> with strong noise, make some unnecessary
> remarks.
>
>

Perhaps we need a better word or phrase for indicating that a station
isn't hearing terribly well as this is useful information to include in a DX
spot (e.g. be prepared for frustration cause station XX1ABC isn't
hearing very well). "DEAF" sums up this kind of situtation very concisely,
but is an emotionally loaded term that carries the unfortunate unstated
implication that the "deafness" of the DX station is somehow due to a
personal shortcoming of the DX operator rather than what is in most
cases a situtation that is beyond his or her control (high local noise).

Perhaps there is a better less emotionally loaded descriptor that
could be used to alert other DXers that the spotted station is having
problems hearing. From http://www.wemsi.org/qsigs.html:

"QSI"  -  I have been unable to break in on your transmission.

or maybe something slightly less pithy:

"NOISE IMPAIRED".

73, Mike W4EF