Topband: Coupla things ...

[Rick Kiessig]

This isn't a problem only in contests.

In non-contest settings, nearly every time I'm on the air for any length of
time (SSB), it results in a pileup (no matter which band). Things generally
go smoothly in most parts of the world, with the notable exception of EU.

Many ops on the other end there seem to be increasingly unaware of, or
unconcerned for, reasonable operating procedures. They transmit on top of
me, they respond when I ask for a partial even when their call isn't close,
they say their call ten times, trying to block everyone else, they even TX
in the middle of an established QSO. They don't *listen*. Another regular
thing these days is that someone apparently gets unhappy and starts "tuning
up" (really just sending a carrier) on my run frequency for an extended
period. Some of it might be called "bullying," but it also smells of
near-desperation.

I don't claim to have an answer. Mostly, I just grin and bear it, and try to
pick out the well behaved and/or quiet operators when I can. I have to say,
though, that people who sign by saying "have fun with the pileup" have it
backwards. At least for me, a big pileup full of inconsiderate operators is
much more work than fun.

73, Rick ZL2HAM


-----Original Message-----
From: Topband [mailto:topband-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of
lmlangenfeld tds.net
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2013 9:15 AM
To: topband at contesting.com
Subject: Topband: Coupla things ...

> Message: 2
> Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2013 15:04:13 -0500
> From: "Gary Smith" <Gary at ka1j.com>
> To: topband at contesting.com
> Subject: Topband: Coupla things
> Message-ID: <510436BD.15693.958F1DD at Gary.ka1j.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
>
>
>
> - It is a contest so the stronger and more savvy will wrangle contacts 
> from those less able. I do find it disquieting to have someone 
> obviously trying to copy my call and another contester come on top of 
> my attempts and with their stronger signal, send their call over mine 
> so the other person hearing them clearly replies to them instead. I'm 
> running legal limit and the guy overpowering me is 20 over so I know 
> he heard me, he just pushed me aside like a shopper at Macy's Bargain 
> Basement. Yes it's a contest but I don't find that kind of bullying to 
> carry much honor.
>
>
Gary, et al.:

That happened to me more than a few times, too.  I was surprised and
disappointed by how many seemed to take a DX station's "WA9?" as an
invitation to reply from an entirely different call area or with a vastly
dissimilar prefix.  And, except in the few cases where the DX op was kind
enough to persist,  I was usually shouldered aside in the resulting
"shouting match."

Contest or no, I sincerely hope this doesn't represent the new norm for the
"Gentleman's Band."

73,

Mark -- WA9ETW
_________________
Topband Reflector