Frustration

Ernest - W4EG

If you like to know what frustration is: 
During this CW contest; I can hear so many contest stations; unfortunately they are NOT using Flex radios.
You can call them and call them and they can not hear you.  I set my filters to 250-400 Hz or narrower and they keep asking for repeat or they call CQ's; when there are many stations trying to work them.
Mind you these are not DX stations. I keep asking what in the world are they using or are they all in an RF holes?
Thank you Flex for such a great radio.  

Steve W6SDM

I agree with the props for Flex, but keep in mind it's more than just the receiver.  Propagation plays a big part - even on the nearby stations.  An even bigger factor is the antenna.  I use a 7 element Yagi that has excellent front to back rejection, so if I am pointed away from you, I am not likely to hear you unless it's long path. 

Then there's the operator.  During the contest this weekend, I came back to the station after taking a break and began working Europe.  It seemed like I had to call five or six times even when there wasn't a pile-up. I was working them, but my contacts per hour was seriously down from what I had been averaging.   I was beginning to think the whole continent had gone deaf when I looked over and realized I forgot to turn the amp back on.  I was working them with 30 watts.

Ken - NM9P

I once called 10 or 15 times in a pileup and was positive that I should have worked the station on first or second call.  Frustrated, I began checking antennas... no problem.  It turns out I had turned the power all the way off for some audio level checking, then gone to lunch and returned, forgetting that the power was still turned down.  'Doh!

K1UO Larry

"Mind you these are not DX stations"....    You will find (for whatever reason) in the CQWW DX Contests, that if you call stations in your own Country,you do not count for points. So...  other than working a station one time for the ZONE credit, so many  serious competing stations in the USA will either ignore other USA callers or pretend to be having difficulty copying them.  This is even more prevalent when the Contesting station has a nice opening to Europe or other point producing region.  With the above comment you made, I assumed you were calling other USA contesters?

Hope you had fun in the DX Contest anyhow.

Regards es Merry Christmas,  Larry  K1UO

Ernest - W4EG

I don't think that was the situation, since they were answering stateside stations. However, they were far and few in between.  
I was not participating in the contest I was just racking up Centennials and new countries.
Same wishes to you and yours. W4EG

Charles - K5UA

It is also possible that: 1. You were zero beat with their rx frequency. 2. They were using a very narrow filter and you were not in its passband. In either case they would have "seen" you on a 6000 series Flex panadapter, even if they could not "hear" you. Advantage Flex.