FT4TA Pileup on 17 Meters this morning

Ken - NM9P

I didn't even try... not enough antenna or power.  But I can't understand why the operator lets this pileup go on so long between contacts.  Doesn't he have enough filter power in his rig to get at least a partial call to send back and thin down the fray?  I can zoom in and glean several in a few seconds, and I am not a seasoned DXpedition operator.  

My only thoughts are it must be one or more of the following:

1) He is waiting until the pileup winds down between calls...i.e. he is not controlling the pileup.

2) He doesn't have filters up to the task, like the FLEX has.

3) The pileup must be hellacious on his end, even worse than on my end.

But look at this graph... from my 160 Meter Offset Fed Dipole.  WOW!

Thoughts?

George KF2T

Unless I hear them begging for contacts, I'm not even going to call for the first few days. Wow. The panadapter really gives some perspective, eh?

Duane_AC5AA

You're not hearing it from his end - with all the big arrays and amps pointed right at him.  If you're not an experienced DXpedition operator, this can be overwhelming!

Ken - NM9P

My only experience in a big pileup was as an op for W1AW/9 in Indiana on 40 SSB a few months ago (I hope to do it with better antennas this December)

But it seems to me that when running splits, the op should quickly get a call, any call, or a partial call, and sent that back to thin the pileup.  If the op gets into a fairly rapid pattern, the pileup will learn the rhythm and this 5 minute long pileup nonsense will end... all except for the idiots and LIDS who will keep calling no matter what in an attempt to bully their way through.

BTW...I have a friend in Corpus Christi who was listening to a rare DX pileup plagued by one of those rude American ops who kept "shoving" like that.  Finally the DX op stopped and asked for his call.  He then confirmed the call twice, and announced...."Sir, because of your continued rudeness and poor sportsmanship I have taken note of your call and you will NEVER receive a QSL card from this station!"

Discipline on frequency immediately improved.....

KY6LA_Howard

Been on the other end of the DX Pileup

Between the Megawatt stations from Western and Eastern Europeans, the millions of Japaneese stations and the Americans. There is just a solid wall of noise from which it's difficult to discern even a single letter let alone a call.

Usually it's best to try to force some discipline on the pileup. By only workin one area at a time. That still does not stop the LIDs Who ignore the zone structure and keep. On calling.

Bill-W9OL

I've been dxing for 50 years. I've heard that action taken a couple of time.
Usually it resulted in very very nasty and unprovable qrm.
Better to just make the qso, and never send the card.....
Gus Browning was one of the best cw dxpeditioners ever.
Solo op, in the 50's 60's with a old tube transmitter and separate receiver.
He'd go qrz, take down half dozen calls and send all calls and say you are all 599, thank and qrz for the next bunch.
We would all reply in order OR ELSE.
And this was on cw. And he'd could really read out someone who didn't obey his rules.


I have cards from Gus from some really small sand spits in the Indian Ocean that may not even be there any more.

Any other old timers remember Gus, W4BPD?

Ernest - W4EG

My gripe on these DX expeditions and the W1AW/x operation is; many of the operator ID their stations after every station worked.

What a waist of time, when you have so many stations calling...

Solution... wait until someone else is manning the station: Or hope that someone else visit that rare DX  location before you start pushing daisies. 

Steve W6SDM

I couldn't hear him well enough to even try to go back to him.  When I did manage to hear him well enough to tell if he was calling me back, he either got stepped on by guys who didn't realize he was working split (really!) or DX Cops yelling, "Up Up" (with assorted expletives).  Interesting to see what happens this weekend during the Sweepstakes.

In the mid 1970s, I was the only VQ9 around, just me, a government-issued S line, a Henry 4K and a host of coconut **** and feral donkeys on the island of Diego Garcia. The Navy base was just beginning construction.  The Seabees strung up a vertical so that I could run the occasional phone patch, but operating DX was quite the experience.  Maybe I am reminiscing, but the pileups seemed more civil than they are today.  Even then, having 20 guys calling you at once is formidable.  I have a lot of respect for DX operators who manage to keep their cool and work through the endless sea of call signs one at a time.

Steve
W6SDM

Steve W6SDM

I worked a W1AW/7 station earlier this year as part of the Arizona Outlaws Contest Club.  We tried to spread the love and give as many operators a chance as possible to operate since this was a historic occasion.  Some of the ops were new, which accounted for the less than stellar operating techniques.

 

Larry Davis

just got the ft4ta on 2 bands on ssb in 30 min i done for the day too much fun 12 and 17

Steve W6SDM

That flamethrower you have up in the atmosphere there didn't hurt a bit, did it?  

James Kennedy-WU5E

Worked FT4TA on 15m and 20m so far , I can't stay up that late to get them on 30m. Too bad they are reporting that the call sign look is not work right now. My FLEX 6500 is a DX machine love this radio. last night on 20m they were S9+5 on my beam got them on the 3rd call.

Ken - NM9P

I finally for through yesterday evening on 20 SSB. Not bad for 100 watts and a vertical! It took me about 6-8 times to get my report through because of all the other LID's who kept calling him over the top of me. He finally said "if you're not NM9... Please shut up and wait your turn!" Then he could hear me a solid S9. Now I can relax and try to work them on a few more bands. Ken - NM9P

Steve W6SDM

Congrats!  I am still waiting my turn.  You know, I have never seen worse behavior on any DXpedition.  This one seems to bring the worst out in a lot of people.  Maybe it's because it's a once in a lifetime shot at honor roll - I don't know.

Joe - KC2TN

Tromelin Island FT4TA working Europeans on 17M split! Top picture is with everyone listening (Amazing no one is calling!) Bottom picture is 20 seconds later with EVERONE calling ! Who can spot the ONE GUY who doesn't have his SPLIT Mode set? Can't hear him yet this morning in the USA on 17M! Although I have worked them on 10, 15, 20 & 40 phone. Joe - KC2TN

Joe - KC2TN