Yesterday, around the sunset, PT0S was coming here very loud on 40m. The path was again over the South Pacific. I misunderstood it was from PY0T, which I used to work years ago. But it was actually PY0S. I needed it for the last entity in S. America on 40m CW. As I repeatedly wrote, I have graduated from DXing some 10 years ago, when I completed all entities except for P5 on CW. 40m CW was my main concern where I needed TN, S0 and this PY0S, I guess.
When I heard that loud signal from PY0S, I felt blood was boiling a little bit. I started calling him. The pile up was extending over 10KHz. I was a lazy caller staying on a fixed frequency. No answer to me for over 30 min. I started listening my calling frequency with my FT2000. Setting the audio at appropriate level on both frequencies, I concentrated on finding the spot in QSO. Too many JAs calling him even though it was early in the evening, when most workers should be at their offices. "Are these callers from JA all retirees?", I uttered. Anyway, I went on tuning around the spread spots looking for the lucky guy who caught him while going on calling him.
"....1NUT...", PT0S answered. Yes, it was me who luckily got his reply. My! At that moment, I have already moved up from the spot I got his answer. Not remebering that spot. In my hurry, I came back to the spot which looked like the right one, which I was not confident in at all!, and gave him the report. In a very small delay, he answered to me "JA1NUT TU TU". I suspect he might not have recognize me giving him the report. He might have given me a giveaway. Sorry for such a poor operation. I should have been much more concentrated on it.
When I finished this "QSO", I felt calmed down. What a shameful QSO! I have vowed myself not to go into such a pile up any longer as well as not to bother the DXers who are much more serious chasing those rare ones.
Shin San,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this blog, knowing you for a long time, and recalling your DX operations.
I have gotten to the point that I do not spend a great deal of time in Pile Ups anymore, and one of those reasons is very similar to your comments. I do ocassionally run into a DX station calling CQ without an answer, so I will call him. However,
yesterday I too was hearing a big DX pile up on
the 30 meter band, where I frequently am able to work stations all over the world. So I listened for
several minutes getting a feel for his operaton style. Then Settled down about 4 KHz from his own frequency and began calling him. I too moved frequency several times to match the stations he was working. But after about 5 minuts of this, and sat back in my chair and ask myself what the heck am I doing this for? So I gave one more unsucessfull call and got up and left the room to go talk to my wife. This was about 24:00 UTC. I never did go back to the radio and turned it off an hour or so later. I do recall many years ago sitting in pile ups and finding a sweet spot and getting a response with my tiny signal. This seemed at the time to be very satisfying, but in todays world of varied operators and techniques, after such an experience I leave disgusted with myself for even bothering!
73'
Bob Gates
Hi Bob,
DeleteYou seem to be a parttime DXer now! I am a retired Dxer.
It used to boil my blood to be in the pile ups. But now I am too aware of what DXing means. Anyway, I will let them enjoy it. There is something else different for me to do.
See you.
Shin