[UK-CONTEST] Split Frequency in Contests?

[Peter Bowyer]

John MM0CCC wrote :


> Peter, G4MJS, wrote :
>
> >To enable them to work more stations more quickly - which is everyone's
> >interest, surely? I came across 2 stations working split over the
weekend,
> >andinboth cases I was able to work them easily and quickly. If that's
what
> >it takes, I'd rather they occuiped 2 or 3 kHz with their pileup than
spent
> >30 seconds dragging out a couple of letters from every pileup and another
> 30
> >seconds convincing everyone else to shut up while they work the station
> they
> >think they heard...
>
> And what about all the stations squeezed together 2 or 3 (or more) KHz up
> from the "rare DX" station, calling CQ test, who all of a sudden get
random
> callsigns obliterating their frequency, who of course, are not actually
> calling them?  It's one thing to have to fight to keep a frequency another
> contester has decided is now his, but to render 2-3K of a band out of use
> for fellow competitors, especially if they were occupying this area
> beforehand, that in my opinion is unacceptable.

Yep, that's the downside. But I think we all get used to being muscled out
of the way by stations higher up the rarity pecking order - it's not poilte
or clever, but it is a fact of life. He calls CQ once, gets spotted, gets a
pileup within the space of 30 seconds, and you're dead meat. I don't think
that judicious use of split operation makes this situation that much worse -
and it could be argued that if the split operation improves efficiency then
the number of stations calling in the pileup at any one time is lower, and
so the QRM factor is reduced.

All part of the 'fun' for me....

Peter G4MJS