Hi Folks,
I can't comment on the current pileups because my rig is packed up for a DXpedition, But- I can't help having some thoughts.
Listening splits- Is the DX station asking the pileup to call in a 30 KHz split? Or is he just saying "up", and rather than trying to figure out the listening frequency and call there many guys are just going farther and farther up trying to find a "clear" spot to camp on because they don't have the skill or whatever to listen, and expect to count on the loudness of their signal to be stumbled upon? Yes, the DX should be more specific regarding his listening range, but the DX community has at least an equal obligation to develop some skill and follow his listening pattern, rather than spread farther and farther trying to be in the clear.
Continuous callers- In some parts of the world is this perhaps a cultural thing? I never understood callers from a particular country until someone told me a story regarding someone from that country who moved to the US. I guess the person had a very hard time adjusting because here a person has to wait in line and take his turn. In the old country, rather than have a line, whoever was loudest, most obnoxious, and most persistent got service at the counter. Can a DX operator change something this ingrained by refusing to take callers out of turn?
Also, there are a number of stations in any pileup who are calling but really don't hear the DX, or not well enough to know even if they are acknowledged. Why do they do this? Who knows. But, if you've ever been on a DXpedition you know it happens. They can be loud to the DX, because they are using high power, but when the DX acknowledges them they don't respond. This could account for some of the guys who continue to call while the Dx is transmitting, etc.
It is a competition- While that is true, I don't think it should be a competition to be won by knocking the other guy down. As has been mentioned many times, when a DX station acknowledges someone, and other DXers keep calling hoping to cover him up and get taken instead, they are hurting themselves as much as the other guy. Unless, of course the DX lets the tactic work. While blacklisting may not happen in the sense of identifying someone in the pileup or publishing his call on the internet, believe me if someone continues to call me over other stations, while I am transmitting, etc. I will move the dial on through the pileup to another spot. If the station then finds the new frequency it is easy to ignore him and take others. If not, move on again.
Partial calls- In theory the best idea is to get a partial call and pursue it until the contact is completed. Often, after making identification of a partial call, the station does not respond, or is not workable for a number of reasons. Perhaps propagation changed. Perhaps he didn't hear the DX acknowledgement because of people transmitting on the DX frequency, perhaps he already moved on to try a different TX frequency, perhaps the DX heard 2 signals mixing together and it was not a valid partial. The easiest thing to do is work the strong guy who has continued to call. The best thing to do is to call qrz, and not reward the guy who didn't stand by.
It is easy to be critical of Dxpedition operators from the perspective of listening from home. Believe me, a pileup does not sound the same on the DX side. From home, when all beams are not pointed at you, it is easy to listen to the pileup and pick out strong stations who have the best propagation to your location. From the Dx station it often sounds like simply a loud roar, with nothing standing out. When you do get a partial it can actually be part of two callsigns. Certain bands are very bad, like 40 meters, where you can have callers from Europe, USA and the rest of NA, Central and South America, and Africa all at the same time. When you do pull an identification out of the mess, which sounded about 22, the guy is 40 over 9 when he is the only one transmitting.
During the CY9DH operation I was working with VE9DH on 80 Meters. We had no trouble working the guys in Maine and NE US. But, we knew there were guys in the deep south and SW, etc. who needed us but would never get through the NE curtain. So we did call areas. Even then, when we asked for fives, for example all we could hear was a low rumble, not even a single letter could be made out. So Jim asked for stations with 5 in the call whose suffix started with A. When we could hear no more we went to B, etc. This was painfully slow, and many guys likely gave up and went away, but those that really wanted the contact and could be heard got a contact. The guys who called out of turn were politely told- "I'm sorry, you're suffix doesn't start with A, please call later when we get to your letter". I would probably never have the patient to this if I wasn't logging for Jim, and I don't think it would work with Europe, you would be telling every single contact they weren't in the log because they couldn't understand what you were doing. But, it helped many stations with lesser antennas get the contact.
So, there are alternatives to spreading the pile further and further, but it is the easiest way for sure. No matter what method of dividing a pileup is used, there will always be guys who will try to circumvent it. And even when you don't reward the out of turn guy, many others will still try. It should be a cooperation as well as a competition. The Dx went there to help as many as possible who need the contact. We should do the same from the other side. Let the other guy have his contact. Do unto others and all that.
73 for now,
WV2B
"The reward of a thing well done is to have done it."-
Ralph Waldo Emerson
