I see ON4UN and another DX operator noted in the SSB contest something that
bothered me in the CW one two weeks ago. To wit, the blatant theft of run
frequencies.
I understand the operator who honestly believes a frequency is open - can't,
because of the skip zone and QRM, hear the other operator already using it.
And I understand how changes in propagation can make a frequency that
sounded open from W0 end up useless due to the loud W2 who'd been there for
hours.
But in the CW test, on at least three occasions at least 3 hours after
sunrise (i.e., the band was fully open at both locations) a LOUD East Coast
station would land dead on a run frequency I'd been using for at least 10
minutes (in one case, 2 hours) and could not be persuaded to leave. After
going 5 minutes without a QSO (not for lack of DX callers -- but I just
couldn't copy the DX callers through the wall of East Coast sound) I would
have to go elsewhere. And every time I would try my "QRL?" on a frequency
that happened to be occupied by an East Coast station (i.e., all of them<g>)
I would receive an immediate answer. That tells me I was being heard, and
heard well, on the coast. (and K4VX is no QRP wimp-station...) I can only
think of one possible explanation: these East Coast stations couldn't find
an open run frequency, so they found one in use by a W0, figuring they could
copy the DX through the western station. In other words, they
*intentionally* ran me off.
For the W1/W2/W3 ops, it worked. I wonder what consequences it's having for
contesting?:
1. How many stations west of the Appalachians don't bother with a
serious effort in a DX contest
because of a lack of sustained rate and the knowledge they can't run
for more than 10-20 minutes
at a time without losing their frequency? (this is why I wasn't a
serious entrant in the SSB test)
2. Have you ever been frustrated to hear a badly-needed multiplier
working S&P & you can't find an
open frequency to call CQ & attract his attention? (VY1JA?) Might
this not be what the 100w/low dipole DL station is feeling when he
hears the Nebraska station he needs for WAS being bounced around the
band by the NJ/MA/PA folks he's already worked dozens of times?
3. Don't you folks on the Coast need the 100w/low dipole DL's to be on
& working to maintain your
QSO totals?
4. Doesn't your signature on the summary sheet mean you agreed to
compete in an ethical manner? Is
it ethical to steal something if you can't get it through legitimate
means?
BTW despite good JA runs in the CW contest, I only recall *one* incident
where a West Coast operator tried to steal my frequency, and he went away
promptly -- even though his signal was adeqate that he could have taken it
if he really wanted to.
73 Doug
(who doesn't mean to single out any state - indeed, my worst problems were
with two stations in states I didn't mention)
==========================================================================
Douglas E. Smith W9WI/4 desmith@Telalink.net.xxx
1385 Old Clarksville Pike (preferred for long files)
Pleasant View, TN 37146-8098 USA -or-
(615) 746-5205 72777.3143@compuserve.com.xxx
(preferred for time-critical info)
(.xxx added to end of email address to hopefully foil spammers)
==========================================================================
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