[UK-CONTEST] Frequencies

[G3SJJ]

Seems to me some niavety around. Whether you are rag-chewing, working DX or contesting, the long established practice is to find a clear frequency and stay there whilst inviting other stations to join you for a while before THEY move away. This is bog standard, normal operating technique. OK so having run JAs in the 80m CW DX window for a while around their sunrise, you might decide go and pour another glass of wine, in which case you vacate that frequency and leave it for some one else to have a go. However if you wish to continue running JAs then you wouldn't expect someone to say "Hey, move over old boy, this isn't YOUR frequency.
 
So how does this become different in a contest. It doesn't. You choose a frequency and run as fast as you can, it's called RATE. You only give it up if you make the decision, not someone else, and that's when we all start whinging!
 
Now if you have a second vfo as I did in my TS930 some 20 years ago or now my MP, you can practice the technique of SO2V  (single operator 2 VFOs). It was much harder in those days, as you couldn't hear what was happening on the (your!) Run frequency: VFO A CQ, VFO B find a signal, VFO A CQ, VFO B find out who it is, VFO A CQ or maybe work someone, VFO B call him, VFO A CQ, VFO B work him etc. Much easier know but SO2V has been around a long time.
 
AFS is hard but it is after all a competition and there can only be one winner, so you guys with the lower antennas and power don't go thinking you are the only ones who have been sh** on. There are probably 369 others, including me!!
 
A la prochaine fois. Chris G3SJJ