Tuesday, April 9, 2019

The pleasure of working US and JA stations

Hi all CW practitioners,

Yesterday Luke VK3HJ and I VK2PN had three hours of bliss.  Working US and JA on 17.  Then the same on 30 next day.  The rates were around 100 per hour or so.  The callers responded our prompts and all was just SOOOOO EASY.

Thank you all who called on those bands.


This is the fun we are here for

73
Patrick

Sunday, April 7, 2019

On DX expedition Norfolk Island as VI9NI

The beautiful Norfolk Island.

Chris VK3QB, Luke VK3HJ and David VK3BDX offered me a spot in the four members team.  I've accepted fast and gratefully.

After few days of operating and handling the pileups I have to release this:

-----o-----
Dear EU operators,

How come that I/we can work rates up 100 Q's per hour working US and JA stations? How come the rate drops below 50 Q's or as it was this morning to 25 Q's per hour?

Believe we try to work as many as possible, but you guys are making it just so hard. Please respond just with you call sign and try not to transmit over each other.

There is most obviously a new game in town. With the use of panadaptor (most radios have one) you can easily find where I/we are listening. Great feature. But why are you “dropping” on me/us before I/we complete the QSO. I can't hear the station I'm working and I can't hear you. Both signals are on top of each other. NO QSO then. Too many repeats and the rate is a quarter of what it was with the other continents.

Please wait for the QSO to finish and then call. I'm happy to hear you on the same frequency (saves me reaching for the tuning knob). BUT DON'T CALL ON TOP GOING QSO.

If I call with a part of your callsign I need your callsign only once.
I don't need the 5NN more than once. Actually I don't need the 5NN at all, but it is convention so send it only once.

With your panadaptor, please find a free slot and put your signal there I'll find it. It may take a minute, but I'll find it.



In the picture above there are approx 19 signals. Should be easy. It is not if you don't spread and if you don't keep dropping on going QSO.

Please reconsider. We are, all of us you and us the DX in it for the fun. The battle we are facing is NOT FUN.

Cheers
73
Patrick VK2PN your humble operator and the rest of the team.

The results of the Commonwealth contest were published.

  As I member of the team Australia 2, I was quite pleased with the result.