Topband: why the DX doesn't always work split. Especially on the lowbands

[Steve Ireland]

G'day

 

I have had a number of 'food for thought' responses to my original email
about the perspective from the DX end of a pile-up.  The one from Paul N1BUG
below has made me re-think my current way of operating. It is always good to
see things from another's perspective.

 

If the DCX conditions are good, outside of contests and if there is room,
look for VK6VZ working split.

 

Perhaps receiving 'UP 1' will mean me sending 'AGN AGN' less.  ;-)

 

Vy 73  

 

Steve, VK6VZ

 

 

>Perhaps a comment from the other side of that same opening?

 

I called Steve a few times that morning but stopped because even with a 200
Hz filter and audio peaking it was difficult to hear when he came back to
people through the callers. They were spread out some but it only takes a
couple who call too long or with questionable/unfortunate timing to make
things difficult when the DX is S7 and the callers are 20 to 30 over S9.

 

Steve had a relatively small pile (10 callers at a time?) of reasonably well
behaved DXers. For me it was marginally OK working simplex but I very likely
might have missed it once or twice had he come back to me. I heard Steve
answer a few stations who did not copy him right away due to the other
callers (I'm assuming, because there were others still calling and they
subsequently seemed to hear him just fine when in the clear). That may have
slowed his potential QSO rate somewhat but not drastically. With a few more
callers or a couple who are particularly eager it can easily go from that to
total chaos.

 

Of course there are times when there isn't enough space on the band for all
DX with multiple callers to go split.

 

73,

Paul N1BUG