Topband: Topband Strange Propagation

[Gary Smith]

I suspect most of us here, are more like the old school hams were on 
160. When a needed DX or non-needed DX is on & I'm calling, I'll 
happily stand by and let the next guy get their shot. I do believe in 
the "Golden Rule" and on 160, expect most on here to feel the same 
way.

I admit that during a contest I like to get my call heard but common 
sense says you do things a certain way to expedite moving on and not 
getting into a pissing contest with someone else trying to work XYZ 
station at the same time. If two or three are calling at the same 
time, it takes longer to battle each other and then to battle the 
QRN/RFI/QSB, whatever, with the station you won out and made contact 
with. It's a loss of points to act like the big dog so if you can't 
work XYZ easily, move on to someone next to them & keep on going, go 
back and try XYZ later.

As to the crap on the calling frequency, its definitely worsened over 
the years. Used to be the CB mentality that was the problem but CB is 
not the bugaboo it was in the 70s/80s. Nowadays, how many CB antennas 
do you see on cars. I think its more societal in nature, somehow 
related to the "Me & him did this" instead of "He and I did this" 
current lexicon. More though, some misanthropes with personality 
defects get their revenge on life by interfering in the joys of 
others; it gives them a sense of power in their limpid Walter Mitty 
lives so they interfere as they can and it makes their day.

There's an odd behavior that we've all heard & that's the "ditter", 
the person who on the DX frequency sends the occasional dit, not a 
string, just a dit & then some odd seconds later does it again. I 
wonder if they do it to bust the chops of someone like me who tries 
to go without AGC to better hear quiet DX, do that did close to me 
and it hurts my ears. Maybe that's their goal... I have no idea but I 
suspect the greater majority of the interference you hear on 160 is 
accidental and there are but a very few (but unfortunately 
consistent) A$$es that intentionally QRM. Even the OM called it 
Rotten QRM back in the early days.

I still think 160 is the most gentlemanly band out there. Maybe 6M is 
as well, I've only worked one station on 6M...

73,

Gary
KA1J

> I don't want to start another "run" here but I was a bit disturbed 
last night after deciding to try for a new one, K5P.  Guys all over 
the DX transmitting freq and one who must have fallen asleep with his 
finger on the send button.  He must have sent his call sign for over 
a minute.  I sent my call a couple of times but any possible return 
would have been covered by callers.  So much for that.  I don't get 
on as much lately with a shaky fist etc. and spend most time working 
on improvements but I can recall not to long ago that when a dx 
station was on 160 everyone would shut up when he picked a call.  One 
of the reasons I liked the "Gentleman's Band".  Seems to be a lot 
more people getting on 160 now I guess.
> Jimk2hn
> On Fri,1/15/2016 5:50 AM, Tom W8JI wrote:
> > I hate to see Hams, who generally used to be higher than average 
> > intelligence, 
> 
> Did you never listen to 75M as a kid? Have you listened recently? 30 
> minutes in either error should correct that false impression. :)
>  
> _________________
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