[PaQSO] Mobile Window

[Jimk8mr at aol.com]

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  K8MR