[ILQSO] idea from K8MR

[James Funk]

ILQP has never attemped a "mobile window" as far as I know. Here is a
good reason (posted by K8MR to the PAQP reflector) for NOT doing so, and
a good suggestion:
 
"An interesting idea doomed to failure is the "mobile window" to "KEEP
CLEAR FOR WEAK MOBILES". 

Anyone who adheres to this will avoid the frequencies (mainly 7275, and
to a lesser extent 3975 and 14275), leaving them to people, either in
PAQP or not, who don't know or care about the mobile window.

Might I suggest a better idea for the mobile window: KEEP *BUSY* FOR
WEAK MOBILES

If a loud PAQP station is active on the mobile frequency it will be kept
clear - until a mobile calls in, at which time the loud (fixed) station
will offer the frequency to the mobile and move if the mobile wants to
try to run some people there.

The fixed station will get the QSO, quite possibly a new county. The
mobile will get a chance to run. The rest of the participants will get
to find a mobile on a relatively clear frequency.

And if the mobile leaves, whoever jumps in can have the frequency -
until the next mobile shows up.

I had an experience with this principle this summer during the IARU
contest. 

Saturday afternoon I plopped down on a relatively clear 14325 and
started working people. After a bit someone called and politely told me
that the Hurricane Watch Net was planning to start up there in about 45
minutes. With an active hurricane in the Gulf I knew this was for real,
and offered him the frequency right then. He said they weren't ready
yet, so I told him I would stay there and work the contest until they
were. Which I did.

I had to explain to people from time to time that I knew about the HWN
and what I intended, and kept operating the contest there until the net
was ready to go at 2000z. When the net began the NCS thanked my
profusely for keeping the frequency clear and available.

They had a far easier time than if I had moved originally and left the
frequency to other random activity (quite possibly from Europe where
people were likely to be unaware of the hurricane or the net).

And I now have an OO card from the Virgin Islands SM and OO NP2B, citing
"EXCELLENT operating procedure" for "maintaining the HWN frequency
during contest activity and relinquishing it when the HWN began
operation".

CU this weekend as I mobile around PA."

 

73, Jim N9JF