[Dxpeditions] How to work a European pile-up

[Rob Snieder]

How to work a European pile-up

 

Introduction

 

My name is Rob Snieder PA5ET formally PA3ERC. I have been on quit some
DX-peditions from the Caribbean and been a team member of the latest
TI9M Dx-pedition which had one of the goals to work Europeans on all HF
bands.

 

As many DX-peditioners know is can be quit difficult to keep order and
work Europeans with a reasonable rate. They keep on calling, don't
listen, make QRM on your calling frequency etc.

 

I have tried to write down the method we use in the Low Land DX-pedition
Team (LLDXT) which did the job for us. 

 

We hope by publishing method this might help future DX-peditions members
to work Europeans in a more efficient way with the best rate possible
and keeping control of the situation.

 

LLDXT working Europe method

 

*	If you expect a pile-up to come, one of the most important
things is to work split even if you get a couple of stations returned
just use a fixed listening frequency e.g. in CW always call up 1 or 2,
SSB up 5.
*	Don't use the entire band to work you pile-up it will invite
commenters of telling you to keep your split range smaller.
*	If you change from simplex to split repeat your call at least
after the next 5 QSO's and mention you now working split. Don't work any
stations anymore on your transmission frequency and never work stations
less than 1 up in CW or 5 up in SSB.
*	If you hear stations giving you reports with a note of QRM
consider to change your transmission frequency, tell the pile-up you are
moving and they will move with you and your rate should go up again.
Don't try to move that other station to move because as DX station you
will loose this battle and if local police man start telling that guy to
move you make it worser and it will attract the Up Up callers.
*	If you are lucky stations will give their full callsign although
it is quit normal that South European have the habit to only say their
suffix, telling them to use full callsigns will help 2 times and than it
is back to suffixes. Don't try to change the world because you can't.
*	Work any letter combination you here and give the report as soon
as possible, don't wait until you have the full callsign if you have a
European pile-up. Once you are sure of at least 2 letters give him a
report, yes I know it means an extra transmission but you will see that
your rate goes up working in this way. Stations which normally would
keep on calling now only have the time to call once because by the time
they try a second time you are already exchanging a report with another
station. Hams will adjust their calling method in time to your way of
operating and start to learn how the DX station is working. Once you
gave a report hang on to that station until you worked that station,
don't give up! If you come to the conclusion that station is not their
transmit NIL QRZ or say Nothing heard QRZ don't just say QRZ because
that means everyone can call. In CW when a station doesn't return than
transmit his call or part of it again with RST again and again until you
have his full call, if you transmit his partial call with a questionmark
everyone will call again, if they hear you giving a report they will
stand-by. I don't understand that but it is working.
*	If the situation is getting out of control because nobody
listens transmit QRX QRX QRX and listen if the frequency is quiet, if
not transmit QRX QRX QRX again until everyone is quiet, than call the
station you wanted to work.
*	If they keep on calling again over the station you want to work
transmit QRX QRX QRX until they are quiet again and transmit LIST OR QRT
LIST OR QRT, the work QRT is magic, you will see they will start
listening now.
*	If they than still don't behave do what you said you would do
and go QRT, transmit DE YOURCALL YOURCALL NOW QRT NOW QRT TNX FER QRM
*	Now go to another band or different frequency on the same band,
or have fun and listen on you calling frequency and listen how they
attack each other of making QRM and than QSY. They will learn of this
process and if will get better and better.
*	Never comment QRM'ers or Policeman, you are the boss and needs
to keep the lead, if you can't you probably need to over think why it
went wrong and start again on a different frequency.
*	In CW you can transmit fast but only if you can receive with the
same speed as you transmit.
*	Always confirm a changed call so the pile-up station knows that
he is in the log.

 

 

I'm sure lots of DX'ers will disagree with this method or partly, I'm
happy to start a discussion. I can work 4 stations a minute in a
European Pile-up which is not bad I think giving the fact of the extra
exchange using this method. It speaks for it selves that if you don't
have a large pile-up you can work simplex and take full call all the
time.

 

I hope that future DX-peditions can make use of this method and that it
will change their way of bad thinking of European radio amateurs.

 

73 de Rob PA5ET

 

HB0/PA3ERC, VP5/PA3ERC, VP5C, FG/PA3ERC, TO5C, J77C, J79RC, FM/PA3ERC,
J6/PA3ERC, 9Y4/PA3ERC, 6Y5/PA3ERC, ZF2RC/ZF9, PJ7/PA5ET, FS/PA5ET,
V47ET, VP2EET, 8Q7ET,V26ET, 8P9JS,VP2MPA, J3/PA5ET, J8/PA5ET, J38PA,
J8PA, TI9M, J75ET, J75PA, VP2MET, VP2MPA, OY7ET, OY8PA  
Extensive contest experience at PI4COM, PA6WPX, PA6HQ
 
Rob Snieder pa5et@muurkrant.com

 

LLDXT  <http://www.qsl.net/lldxt> http://www.qsl.net/lldxt



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