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March 14th 04, 01:57 AM

said :

That's an easy question to answer.
If you work them, NOTHING is wrong with them.
If you don't work them, EVERYTHING is wrong with them.
Obviously, you didn't.

Actually, that's not quite correct. I worked all of the operations I'm
referring to on at least one band/mode, with the exception of 3C0V.
Given the problems they faced, I don't know if there is any blame on
their part, so I won't comment.

If you don't work them, EVERYTHING is wrong with them.
I respectfully disagree with that entire premise. There are many
DXpeditions I've worked whose operations have been terrible. Yes, I'm
thankful they heard me, yes I'm thankful that they spent their time
and money to go, etc. But that doesn't mean that I thik they're all
first-class operators.

Here's one example that drives me nuts. If they're calling for North
America only, where I'm situated, and they're going by numbers in the
early days. Some EuroLids get in there and start shouting down
everybody, and don't even bother with the correct number -- i.e. DX
wants North America, number 2 only, and a gaggle of I, EA, CT, ON, OZ,
etc, stations with every number under the sun calls in. That's bad
enough. THEN, the DX station calls a loud EA5 when he was asking for
W/VE 2's, sorry...I think that's just a plain old bad operator.
Actually, TWO bad operators.

In the ARRL-SSB contest last Sunday afternoon, I listened to EA9IE,
Juan, handle a world-wide 20M pileup just spectacularly. He took a few
seconds to tell off the lids who were calling out of turn. It just
took about 4 or 5 and they got the message, and an otherwise
extra-strength-Tylenol class pileup became very manageable. Kudos,
Juan. Bob Furzer's done it too, as as Martti and members of his teams,
albeit each in their own fashion. When I eventually become part of a
DXpedition (money's too tight for the moment), I'll do the same. If I
want 5s only, only fives will be called. Insistent 8s and 9s will be
ignored or politely advised that they will not be called upon.

If an operator behind the mic or key happens to be from Upper Dipthong
and he favours other Upper Dipthongians over anybody else who is
calling in their proper turn, or when asked, well, sorry...that's
another Bad Operator.

OK, anybody can miss a few here and there, and I'll not aim my
displeasure on an operator who's having a Really Bad Day and makes a
few mistakes. We're human. We can be forgiven for that kind of thing.
I'm talking about operations that *regularly* do these things.

I'm talking also about operations that simply don't understand the
concept of going split over a range of frequencies, especially in the
first few days of a major operation to a rare entity. Q rates become 1
or 2 a minute, bedlam reigns and ill-will is the order of the day.

Other operators simply don't have enough skill with the English
language to be part of an operation whose main operating language is
English. Sorry, no offence, but it should be incumbant on a phone op
behind the mic to a most-wanted DXpedition to have a reasonably-strong
command of the English language. I'm not talking about a Shakespearean
stage actor here, but just someone who can converse readily in
English. I doff my hat to the big International operations who bring
on board at least one JA operator to work the inevitable JA pileups.
Many EU-originated operations don't do this for stateside hams.

My reason for posting these messages isn't to direct anger toward any
one operation. I'm hoping DXpeditioners or organizers of future trips
may possibly obtain one or two clues that they never might have
thought of otherwise, which may lessen the frustration of hams the
world over who want a crack at them.

73 de Peter, W2IRT
(ex-AB2NZ, VE3THX)

Please reply to Double-you Two Eye Are Tee at Arrl.net

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