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

[Brad Rehm]

I think Jeff's approach is sensible.  It isn't offensive, and it gently
makes an important point.  But alas, I'll confess that I'm one of the
offenders.  For a couple reasons, I did respond respond to domestic/NA CQs.
 The first is that, before the contest I read somewhere that domestic Qs
count one point and that DX Qs count three points.  This is what I
remember, but it's apparently not correct.  In any case, if a guy hadn't
received a response after three or four calls, I'd call him and give him a
point.  What harm done?

The other reason is that with so little activity on the band last weekend,
I was glad to be able to talk to anyone.  If it had been jumpin' with DX,
I'd have been in there working it too.

Brad, KV5V


On Tue, Feb 18, 2014 at 8:10 AM, Larry <lknain at nc.rr.com> wrote:

> 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."
>
>
>
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