Topband: Stew_Perry & CQ_callers

[Tree]

On Tue, Jan 02, 2007 at 03:48:20PM +0100, Thomas Herrmann wrote:

> how to QSO with JAs in our evening hours, if 1810 ... 1825 is full of european big gun CQ_callers, having very short RXing gaps only ?

We probably have a similar problem here on USA west coast, just at the
opposite times.  I was using the Orion radio with a band scope and could
see just about all of the activity compressed into 15 kHz from 0800Z on.

The good news is that a DX station (other than JAs) can get a nice clear
frequency on 1832 or so.  Obviously, in the old days when we all worked
split (because the JAs had a small window up the band) this problem did not
exist.

> I'm really interested in the ratio number "JAs per hour for CQ_calling stations" vs. "JAs per hour for searching & pouncing stations". It seems to me, that the primary effect of CQ_calling stations was to prevent others from JA_QSOs; sorry.    

This is a hard problem.  If you look at my log, I think I had 38 JA QSOs.  
The band is open from about 0800 to 1600Z to JA - a total of eight hours
during the Stew.  I doubt I had more than 3 or 4 of them in any given hour
(except perhaps the first one) - so they were spread out.  

The difference between my score and that of N2IC is probably the number of
JAs we worked.  If I had not been in the 15 kHz window for much of the 
eight hour period, I would have missed many of the JA stations, who just
spend a short period of time on the band working the stations they can 
hear.

I have always wondered if there was some way to put a rule into effect
that said something like: "If you call 20 CQs in a row without an answer
you have to leave the frequency for at least 5 minutes before you can
CQ again on that frequency (QSY at least 5 KHz to CQ again if you must)."

However, I realize this probably isn't ever going to be something that we
can get adopted.  The Sprint QSY rule comes as close to fixing this problem
as anything I have seen.  The old quota system in the DX contests was another
attempt at it (before my time).

160 meter contests are a weird concept.  They aren't for everyone I am afraid,
and there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the band under less crowded
conditions.  The Stew has been blessed with enough activity to make it fun,
but not so much to make it impossible to find a hole in the band to use - most
of the time.

Tree N6TR
tree at kkn.net