In this past weekend's contest I ran into this several times. I'd tune the band, find a "seemingly" empty spot, listen and then send a quick ?. Quick so that if its in use I don't cause QRM for too long. Listen again and if no response a quick QRL? If no response I'd start CQing. Several times I followed that exact sequence only to have someone, presumably the previous "owner" of that spot call CQ after I'd CQ'd, sometimes, several times already. Again important to note absolutely NO response to my earlier requests if that spot was busy.
Here is what I think is happening. Whomever was there was off working someone on the second radio. Only after I started to send CQ did they come back and "reclaim" the spot. I didn't want to waste the time and effort going to war but I'm thinking that if you don't respond when I ask if the frequency is in use, twice, then you've lost it. I'm there now and you should move on. I appreciate you might have been off working someone else, on a bathroom break or whatever but, you've still given up that frequency. That is the chance you take when going SO2R (or whatever took you away from the frequency). Notably it was usually a well known big station that did this. I didn't want to "fight it out" this time but perhaps next time I'll be a bit more determined. 73 Ron N4XD _______________________________________________ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
