At 10:15 AM 08/03/2006, you wrote:
The US call districts are still mostly populated by the right numbers,
though this is a good point, especially when taken worldwide.
Calling one 1 and then one 2 and one 3 and so forth has the advantage
of NOT taking into account propagation (you're not trying to get only
1's, 2's, 3's before the band closes)
I completely disagree with this way of working. Charlie talks about
frustration, well, taking ONE from each number, especially as your
location is losing propagation, will increase
frustration/desperation, especially if the DX is hopping around the
dial like a deranged Easter bunny.
In my pileup experience, the ones who work through the fastest are
the ones who are steady operators, find a pattern that works and
sticks to a relatively narrow range to listen over. Those are the
pileups that good ops will get through very quickly. I think the
general practice of going by numbers when the pileup would otherwise
be insane is good, although breaking it down by continent at the
outset helps, too, if you're on a DXCC-top-ten entity. If you take
about 10 or so per number and then move on the desperation factor is
a little less, IMHO. The trick is working as fast as possible so the
rotation time is fairly short. Also, some guys will go by "random"
numbers. 1s then 6s then 8s then 3s, etc. I don't see the point.
If the goal of the DXpedition is to get as many calls in the log on
as many bands as possible, it behooves them to learn the techniques
that will increase their rates and decrease the pileups for the
Deserving (which in turn will be less stressful to the DXpedition
operators). If the DX operator is good, the Deserving (and the
not-so-Deserving) will feel less pressure because they'll understand
it'll be very possible to work the DX "in a little while." If the DX
op is in way over his head, doesn't understand propagation, pileup
control, how to use the radio in front of him, etc, then the crowds
will sense this and pounce all over him.
Really quite Darwinian when you look at it.
Think of it another way - what's easier to change, the behaviour of
500,000 DXers in hundreds of countries or the planning of operating
strategy for a dozen or so DXpeditioners before they leave for the airport?
Cheers,
Peter,
W2IRT
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