Topband: "Studying the Noise" in CQWW 160 CW (Was: RE: SM2CEW SP findings)

[Jeff Maass]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: topband-bounces at contesting.com 
> [mailto:topband-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Peter Sundberg
> Sent: Monday, January 01, 2007 1:58 PM
> To: topband at contesting.com
> Subject: Topband: SM2CEW SP findings
> 
> I got up fairly early on Sunday morning and was hearing a lot 
> of good signals from NA. The problem was getting their 
> attention, guess QRM is fierce over that way.

This problem is going to be even worse in a few
weeks, in the CQWW 160 CW Contest.

As I pointed out in my (PJ2T) 3830 comments from
last year, being away from both Europe and North
America population centers with directive receiving
antennas allowed me to hear stations in each
location CQing away on the same frequencies,
oblivious to the other and to any DX calling them.

Both pileups were engaging in QSOs with their
local constituencies, even when it was time that
they should be working we poor, weak South American
stations (and others that were DX for them). 

Even when their CQs were going unanswered, many
European or North America stations were listing no
more than 250 milliseconds between calls, and not
"studying the noise" for weak stations calling them.
I heard many "lower profile" Caribbean stations who
were calling but could not work CQing Europeans.

Everyone, please don't forget to listen for DX
during even those times you are CQing! There are
HK and YV and PY stations calling, along with 
many Caribbean multipliers! Many of them won't
bend your S-meter needle, but they will inflate
your score!


73,  Jeff  K8ND