Hi Jim,
Thanks for the helpful info. As you say it is very disheartening when
someone is able to persuade the DX station to QSY or change modes in
the middle of a big run. Every 2 years or so I go to the Philippines
and do the CQWWDX SSB and/or the ARRL 10 meter contest from there as a
little pistol. In the 2002 ARRL 10 meter contest I heard you
operating at ZD8Z. Although I had worked ZD8Z from the U.S. home QTH
on most bands and modes a quick check showed I had never worked ZD8Z
from DU land so besides a new contest mult it would be a new country
for me. You had a well running pile up going and I hoped I could
catch you with my 100 watts to a dipole at 55 ft. Your signal
strength was building and the pile up wasn't so solid that I thought I
could make the contact with proper timing. I was just waiting for
that magic sound of "who's the DU station?". Then someone who sounded
as if he knew you asked if you could go to CW. I crossed my fingers
that you wouldn't desert the pile of people trying to work you on SSB
at the time but off you went. I kept monitoring the freq hoping you
would soon come back. All that could be heard was where did he go?
Is he coming back? but no more ZD8Z. I don't know who it was that
asked you to QSY to a CW freq and leave a big group of people on your
SSB run freq hanging but me and about 100 other people would have
liked to kick him in the butt!!!!!
I also must disagree that the ARRL DX is the greatest. I would bet on
the CQWWDX. The ARRL DX is USA vs the rest of the world. The CQWWDX
is any country to any country.
Just a little pistol trying to do his best. I DO appreciate the ZD8
QSO's and QSL's from the home QTH.
73, K7ACZ, in your logs as K6ACZ.
James Neiger wrote:
>
> Secrets of Contesting, Chapter 14
>
> As we approach what is sometimes under-rated, but never should it be
> diminished, the greatest of all DX Contests, the ARRL DX, perhaps it is
> timely enough to state some of the basic principles of what it takes to be
> successful in this contest. Although my 'axioms of success' are directed
> towards the successful W/VE operator, I believe that the DX operator can
> also benefit.
>
> What follows is what I believe to be as experienced from DX. If you can make
> the DX end happy, then you have a chance of increasing your score. Isn't
> that what it should be all about??
>
> These are the days of PACKET. Love it or leave it. We are all
> beneficiaries of its prowess and victims of its success.
> But recognizing that it is, and most probably always will be,you need
> optimize your chance of being a beneficiary, and not a victim.
>
> Let me, please, in commenting, I am NOT a packeteer, I am totally unqualifed
> to comment as to what may take to qualify as a successful packeteer from
> state-side. Having said that, I believe that I might be able to provide some
> 'perspective' as to what the DX end in the ARRL DX might be looking for,
> from you:
>
> 1. Never ever rely on the packet spot as to WHAT the DX station call might
> be. Make sure that YOU hear the call. Whatever it takes. This is
> absolutely fundamental to DX contesting.
>
> 2.MINIMIZE DUPES. Nothing's more of a waste of time. Figure it out,
> please............
>
> 3. Never, ever, call a station unless you know 100% his callsign. Ever.
> (please see 1. and 2., above). It's truly amazing to me HOW MANY call
> without a clue. Is this sound operating? I think not. Yes, the DX station
> has the ultimate responsibility to identify on a regular basis. In that
> there are no defined standards, I can well appreciate that some
> 'ambiguities' might exist. However, I believe that unless YOUR rate is 200+
> per hour, it is your responsibility to harken to the DX station's operating
> procedure. Please, if you don't like it, don't call. Simple.
>
> 4. Never, ever, come onto a DX station's frequency with a ?. This will
> probably QRM a station trying to give his call or state/province. It will
> only slow YOUR rate down. Please let the DX station run the show. As much
> as you might think that YOUR call is what the DX station is dying to hear,
> trust me, the succssful DX operator will let you know when he's ready for
> your magnificent skills.........
>
> 5. NEVER ask the QSL route. This is fundamentally a European affliction,
> but has softened with the years.
>
> 6. NEVER, EVER, ask the DX station the WHEN of another band. If you have
> any skills, then you should be able to (1) know the when, and (2) know the
> how.
>
> 7. The successful W/VE operator most probably knows (1) the DX station's
> call, (2) his operating "style" (does he QRQ?, does he listen high or low (I
> believe that most of us listen high), (3) does he welcome tail-enders? (I
> think that most do NOT these days),
>
> 8. Just because you're a multi-multi, never assume that Nos. 1-7 might not
> apply to you. To the DX station, you're probably just another run-of-the
> mill loud station. As they said in SPIDERMAN, "with extraordinay skills
> come extraordinary responsibilties......."
>
> Great going all. Here we are so many years later; the fundamentals remain
> extant. There are no silver bullets. And there are no subsitutes to the
> fundamnetals:
>
> Everything is about timing: always has, always will be
>
> Know the other guy's call
>
> Don't call unless you're 100% as to whom you're calling
>
> Your call, one time, in the right place, is everything.
>
> Nothing left to this secret.
>
> Vy 73,
>
> Jim Neiger
>
> N6TJ ZD8Z
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> The world's top contesters battle it out in Finland!
> THE OFFICIAL FILM of WRTC 2002 now on professional DVD and VHS!
> http://home1.pacific.net.sg/~jamesb/
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>
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--
__________________________________________________________________________
Alan Zack
Amateur Radio Station K7ACZ
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Quality Engineer, The Boeing Company, Retired
Aviation Chief Warrant Officer, U.S. Coast Guard, Retired
U.S. Coast Guard, Always Ready, Always There
Every hour, Every day, Around the Clock and Around the World
SEMPER PARATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
The world's top contesters battle it out in Finland!
THE OFFICIAL FILM of WRTC 2002 now on professional DVD and VHS!
http://home1.pacific.net.sg/~jamesb/
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