I got quite a few responses (in private only, unfortunately). Some stated
it is not new (is anything?) but has been on the rise in their opinion.
To clarify a few points...
I was not referring to frequency stealing in general. I've had frequency
fights in the past. As I operate more and run more I expect to have more
freq fights (both as the offender and defender). In most cases, it's solved
quickly and with few ruffled feathers. Sometimes not.
But there is no excuse (other than sheer arrogance) for this F1-times-10
tactic. The stations never key-up to listen. There can be no mistaking
their intentions. Sure, contesting is rough-and-tumble; this seems to go
beyond what I consider sportsmanlike.
It has no finesse, no stealth whatsoever. It's like the hooligans you see
on the "real video" TV shows that drive their car through a plate glass
window into a convenience store, wrap a chain around the cash register/ATM
and drag it out. At least a burglar with a set of lock-picking tools has to
have some skill!
Mike
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Gilmer, N2MG" <n2mg@eham.net>
To: <cq-contest@contesting.com>
Cc: <yccc@yccc.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 12:38 PM
Subject: [CQ-Contest] New tactic for finding a run frequency?
> I don't recall hearing about this in the past, but it happened to me
> several times during ARRL DX CW. I would be running on a frequency for
> several minutes/an hour/whatever and along would come a station
> (usually quite loud) that plops down really close and starts
> pressing the CQ button...over and over and over for more than a minute
> without a pause - no attempt to see if the frequency was busy, or if
> there was even an answer to the CQ.
>
> I guess this is some brute-force attempt to "clear" the frequency.
> Perhaps when it's time to change bands, they swish the dial, then hit
> F1 ten times, loading the buffer and out goes 10 CQs, non-stop.
>
> After working some stations through the din (periodically sending a
> short QRL/QSY on their frequency) I eventually had to do the same to
> them - sending QRL QSY N2MG over and over on top of them - and they
> would leave. At the risk of being accused of generalizations, I'll
> state a simple fact: They were all eastern EU DX or same operating
> portable in the US.
>
> Perhaps it's nothing new to some of you guys, and perhaps I've
> experienced this before (I don't recall) but it could not have been
> in the volume of the past weekend.
>
> 73 Mike N2MG
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