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Re: Topband: Pile ups

To: Topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: Pile ups
From: David Gilbert <rimradio@direcway.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Dec 2005 10:23:22 -0700
List-post: <mailto:topband@contesting.com>

Tom Rauch wrote:

>We seem to not listen to or consider the DX stations
>operating method. JA's are VERY well behaved operators, they
>give short calls and listen. By the time W99XYZ sends his
>call ten or twenty times, JA8ISU already called a specific
>station and has given a report two or three times. He does
>this, turns it back, and a half dozen people are still
>calling or just finishing calling
>
>What's wrong with dumping your call two or three times and
>then waiting until you actually hear what the DX station
>says or does? If you can't hear that, how do you expect to
>make a QSO?
>
>  
>

I have to agree.  I was in the JA8ISU pileup this morning (my first JA 
this season since I put up an antenna at this new Arizona QTH) and was 
one of the culprits.  I usually try to send my callsign just twice in a 
pileup (three times on a weak station if nobody else is calling), but 
this morning I thought I busted my own callsign so I sent it an 
additional time to clarify.  When I stopped JA8ISU was giving someone 
(me) a report, and he had to give me a second call because I had stepped 
on him with that last call.  I felt pretty dumb.  He was a good op and 
deserved better.

Some of the issue can be helped from the DX end.  JA8ISU was keeping a 
nice rhythm going, but I've heard many other DX wait until they dig out 
someone's full callsign before they respond at all.  The pileup gives a 
few calls and then pauses, but the DX doesn't respond with a partial 
callsign or even a "QRZ?" so the pileup jumps in again.  Pretty soon 
there is no rhythm at all and everyone just overlaps everyone else 
repeatedly.  It would be better if the DX quickly came back with 
something, even a fictitious callsign, just to force a cadence that the 
pileup would soon synchronize to.

As you say, good practice would put a lot more contacts in the log for 
everyone, especially on a band with short windows like 160m.

Dave  AB7E

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