I have to totally disagree that using the last 2 or 3 helps get thru the
pileup, even if you are not a big gun. The most important part of your call
is what is heard at the receive end, whether it is the entire call or your
prefix or you suffix or any combination. Besides the obvious of slowing the
run rate by giving your last 2, here are a few other points as observed when
running pileups from dx locations:
- if you only send the last 2, it is amazing how many other come back when
you ask for "NA" as used in the example below. Typically will get several to
keep calling if they have an "N" or "A" anywhere in their call.
- On phone some use phonetics or their pronunciation of certain letters or
phonetics are hard to understand. By giving their entire call it is
sometimes easier to pick out bits and pieces of the whole call such as
"K?5?NA" There is less likelihood that many will still be come back.
- On CW, due to signal levels, QRN and band conditions, some letters come
through easier than others at times. Also by hearing the entire call, even
if you can only pick out a few letters initially, the speed, tone and
characteristics of what is heard helps to get the entire call quicker than
by just using the last two. Jon is correct in saying you will be
transmitting longer giving your entire call.
- Don't forget the psychological point either - some don't respond to those
sending only the last 2 until they have worked all the entire calls they can
hear. They know the last 2 folks will slow them down. When you hear only 2
letters being given, you don't know if you are getting the prefix, suffix or
combination of the above as there does not seem to be a pattern to what the
last 2 means.
- Also, you don't know how strong or weak the dx station is hearing you. He
may be hearing you a lot better than you are hearing him/her.
- One bad habit the "last 2" folks have gotten into, is that they have been
sending their last 2 so long that they think its their entire call. It is
amazing how many times that the "last 2" folks don't give their entire call
when you come back to their 2 letters. Sometimes you have to ask what is
their call then they act surprised. Maybe when we are on the dx end we
assume that the dx knows who we are when the last 2 is given.
If only folks would give their entire call signs all the time life would be
better. Maybe I should just use "TO" for my name. Everyone will know who I
am, right?
TOny
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-cq-contest@contesting.com
[mailto:owner-cq-contest@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Jon Ogden
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2000 9:17 PM
To: cq-contest@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] "LAST 2" - Personal Experiences
on 3/28/00 4:21 PM, Igor Sokolov at ua9cdc@dialup.mplik.ru wrote:
> While it is generally better to give the full call sign there are cases
when
> that is not true. I think you should consider the tactics for every case
> individually. Giving the last 2 or sometimes the first 3 or something else
> can be beneficial in a heavy and poorly controlled pile up for some rare
DX
> in the contest. It is especially true when you do not run a lot of power
to
> just brake the pile up. Very often you only have a clear slot of time long
> enough to put THE MOST IMPORTANT part of your call through.
I don't agree. If you put your full call out there there are many things
that can happen:
The first couple letters you say may be buried in QRM, the last couple may
not be or vice versa. Actually, the longer you are transmitting the more
chance there is for him to hear you, hear more of your callsign and less
chance that your call will be confused with someone elses.
If I call "North America" and there is a KC5ZNA on frequency and all that
the DX hears is "NA", then KC5ZNA has every right to come back and I may not
make the QSO. However, if he hears my full call or 9NA or whatever, there
is a much better chance that I am the only station in the pileup with those
letters.
If transmitting the last two is so good to "punch" through the pileup, why
isn't just transmitting the "last one" even better? The fact is you break
pileups far better by giving your full call. In my call, he can come back
with, "the KE9" or the "KE" or the "KE9N" or whatever. More letters, more
chances for him to hear at least some of them.
No part of your call is the most important. It's all important.
73,
Jon
KE9NA
-------------------------------------
Jon Ogden
KE9NA
Member: ARRL, AMSAT, DXCC, NRA
http://www.qsl.net/ke9na
"A life lived in fear is a life half lived."
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