[South Florida DX Association] Bad Operating Practices

[Bill]

I have been appalled by the number of bad
operating practices that have been cropping
up on our bands during the past few months.
Evidently other people have been troubled
too, because I have received several letters
on the subject. None of these practices is
new, they're just more prevalent. Deliberate
interference, tuning up on net frequencies,
playing music, calling CQ without listening
first, obscene language, incorrect identification
or no identification at all, using a kilowatt
when 100 watts will do, talking crosstown
on 20 meters instead of using vhf-the
list could go on and on.
Our high-frequency bands are crowded, but
deliberate and malicious interference, and
discourteous operating tactics aren't going to
relieve the situation. Everything is more
crowded today; the population has exploded,
the expressways and turnpikes are jammed,
homes are being built on smaller and smaller
pieces of land, and practically everywhere
you go, you find a mass of humanity. It follows
that we'll have congestion on the amateur
bands-but congestion doesn't necessarily
mean bedlam. Zeroing your kilowatt in
on a QSO or local net isn't going to make
them move. Why not join them? They'd
probably be glad to have you.
Today, there is a net for almost every
range of interest-they aren't restricted to
handling traffic. Some of the groups that congregate
on the bands are not really nets at
all, but simply groups of hams who get together
for a common purpose. There are DX
nets, such as the International SSB'ers (who
also handle traffic), the county hunters, the
Cracker Barrel and Breakfast Club nets on 75
meters in the morning and various singlefrequency
gabfests. There are technical nets
and the VHF Nut Net, for the vhf addicts, and
of course, a multitude of local and intercontinental
traffic nets, if traffic handling is your
forte.
If you don't like net-type operation, fine;
there are many amateurs who don't. On the
other hand, if there weren't any nets, just
imagine what the QRM would be like. There
are thousands of amateurs who congregate
on particular net frequencies; since they're a
member of a net, they just "read the mail" a
good deal of the time. If they didn't have the
net, they would be calling CQ, fishing for a
new county or active in one of the horrendous
OX pileups. So, when you hear a net in
operation, don't use it for a tuneup frequency.
Whether you know it or not, the most
hedonistic of them will stand by to handle
traffic if asked to do so. They all do a service
to the amateur fraternity by minimizing interference
with channelized communications.
Six months ago, the FCC legalized "tailending."
This is a big boon to the traffic
handlers and the DX and contest operators
because it allows them to transmit only their
own callsign when calling another station. It
also minimizes QRM because it lessens the
amount of information that has to be transmitted.
However, even with legalized tailending,
you must still send both your call
and the call of the station you are working at
the end of the exchange.
The law is very explicit in this respect. Although
you can send only your own call at
the beginning of an exchange, or at intervals
not greater than ten minutes, you must give
the callsign of the station you are working or
one of a group of stations that you are working
at the end of an exchange.
During a recent DX test, it was remarkable
to sit back and listen to the number of stations
who never indicated the call of the station
they were working. They simply sent
their call, a signal report and contest number;
the DX station came back with similar
information. You could sit there for minutes
on end waiting to hear the call of the DX
station. When you finally gave up and asked
him for his call, you'd probably find out that
you'd worked him the day before! Interestingly
enough, the sharp operators, the fellows
who win the contests, were the ones
who were the exceptions-they gave both
callsigns at the end of each exchange.
Deliberate interference and incorrect identification
are only two of the bad operating
practices that you can find on any band you
listen to. You can hear any number of stations
working cross town on 15 or 20 meters
when they should be on 75 or vhf. I have
copied distant W/K stations on 20 meters,
running well over S9 in New Hampshire,
working their neighbors. With modern linears,
it's a simple matter to turn the big box
off when you don't need it.
Why all the penchant for S9 signal reports
when you can maintain perfectly adequate
QSO's with S6 or S7? You may need the linear
for a long-haul DX QSO or for making
initial contact, but once communication has
been established, in 95% of the cases you
can turn the linear off with no detriment to
the QSO. In some cases, a kilowatt is necessary,
but just because you own one doesn't
mean you have to use it all the time. It isn't
necessary and generates unnecessary interference.
I've heard a lot of stations go QRT because
of interference and poor operating
practices. This is not the answer. If you hear
a station who has a bad signal, is not identifying
properly, is causing unnecessary interference
or being generally obnoxious, tactfully
tell him about it. Most amateurs are
gentlemen and will accept your suggestions
with grace.
The next time you sit down at the operating
desk, take a quick look at the rules of the
ARRL A-1 Operator's Club before you turn
on the transmitter. Try to follow their basic
precepts for general keying and voice techniques,
procedure, judgement and courtesy.
Strive to be a first class operator; use operating
finesse instead of brute force. If you're
an A-1 Op, nominate the good operators you
hear; if you're not a member of the club,
make every effort to qualify. Let's promote
good operating on our bands-discourtesy
breeds pandemonium........
.......
Jim Fisk, WlDTY
Editor
Ham Radio July 1968

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