Topband: W/K/VE callers in the Arrl Dx Contests

[Larry]

I get a few calls as well and certainly no where near the number you and the 
others get. Many callers seem to be completely oblivious to the contest and 
are just looking for a QSO. Some know there is a contest and are trying to 
help but have no idea what the rules are for the contest but more QSOs has 
to be better.  Of course, with an exotic prefix like VY2 (in the same exotic 
group as VE, VP?, VQ, VR, VK etc right?) you are more likely to get picked 
on, uh selected, more.

Jeff is right I think that no matter how much we might bellyache here it is 
unlikely to have any effect during the contest. There will always be 
operators that have no clue about the contest or its rules and probably do 
not care.

73, Larry  W6NWS

-----Original Message----- 
From: k1zm at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2014 8:24 AM
To: topband at contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: W/K/VE callers in the Arrl Dx Contests

Hi Guys


I have been reading this thread and I too get hundreds of W callers in ARRL 
DX - both modes.


It does cover weak signal callers on 160m especially - and I have in the end 
determined not to ignore them.


I handle it this way:


1) ON CW - I just work the station but send 599 only - no power - so they 
get the idea that they did something wrong eg:,  that ours was not a valid 
contest qso (if that is what they were looking for).  If they were just 
looking for a straight qso they still get one and a qsl if they send me one 
direct.


2) ON SSB - well this is even worse - I get W callers way down in even the 
CANADIAN sub-bands if you can believe that!


Here, since it is phone, I say" ur 5x9 but you want to work DX - I am in 
CANADA".  For those who call me outside the W/K sub-bands, I advise them 
also that they are outside their allotted FCC band.


To give you an idea of how often this happens - when Scott W4PA operated 
from here during an ARRL CW DX Test a few years ago, he kept a tally 
heet  - and in the end it was something over 200 W/K callers.


Is it a distraction - YES to be sure - but as I age, I realize that there 
was a time when I too was a beginning contest operator.


In my first SS in 1959 - I sent the LONG exchange (of those days) totally 
out of order the whole weekend - later realizing my mistake - but those on 
the other end just said "ROGER" and accepted the qso gladly.


This activity is not likely to just "disappear" despite what we say about it 
here on this reflector - so it is best just to get them out of the way as 
fast as you can and keep going.


Stewing over it is not really going to gain us much - is it?  And, I get 
more of this stuff than you would ever want to know!


FWIW


73 JEFF.VY2ZM










---- Original Message ----
From: Doug Renwick <ve5ra at sasktel.net>
To: 'topband' <topband at contesting.com>
Sent: Tue, Feb 18, 2014 12:42 am
Subject: Re: Topband: Contest in progress - few signals


I am not picking on any one operator.  But guys think about it.  If you all
start/continue working 0 point NA stations ... do you not think that it
encourages these stations to continue this behaviour?  It's becoming
everybody work everybody all the time.  If you are happy working these
stations ... that's your personal choice ... fine ... that's not my personal
choice.  Enough said by me.
Doug

"Think of all the ways you can hurt yourself laughing."



---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus 
protection
is active.
http://www.avast.com

_________________
Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband


_________________
Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband