But there is a further point which may be more opaque than stamina but is nonetheless important: slowing down can actually provide bigger success in the long run. It seems that these days ‘faster is better’, and faster entails being as brief as possible. We have now truncated the QSO to the bare minimum of content, transmitted at the fastest possible speed. Back in the 70s I operated as EP2IA and felt guilty for only sending my name and QTH once during each QSO instead of the expected twice. Oh, how things have changed in the last forty years!
An extreme example is when a DXpedition operator sends CW at 50 wpm and is weak with flutter or echo. Very few can copy his transmissions so few QSOs enter the log. He needs several repeat transmissions before completing each QSO. Maybe this is just an ego‐trip: ‘Look at me: I can operate at 50 wpm’. At very least this seems rather unintelligent. It should become obvious that callers are not able to copy so slowing down and repeating content might help to increase the QSO rate. At least that might be worth trying.
I recall once, some twenty years ago, working a big pile‐up of Japanese stations. They were having trouble copying my weak signals but I was ripping through the pile‐up at three per minute. The next day, with the same opening to Japan, a high proportion of callers had been logged the day before. Clearly, they were unsure that we had completed a solid two‐way QSO. I slowed down and sent each JA call‐sign twice. The effect was to slow the hourly QSO rate but surely a prime requirement is for BOTH ends of the contact to be confident that the twoway QSO was completed. After all, duplicate contacts serve to halve the QSO rate! It is more efficient to make one slower QSO than two snappy ones.
Pile ‐ Up Problems
A major issue of great concern these days is pile‐up chaos. For many DX‐Chasers the hobby is being severely damaged by a combination of poor operating on both sides of the pile‐up. We perhaps feel that it is the DX‐Chasers who need to develop their operating skills but we also wonder if the operating tactics on the pile‐up end are often the catalyst which generates the chaos.
Much of this chaos is rooted in the (commendable) desire of the DXpedition operator to make as many QSOs as possible in the limited time. He therefore transmits at the fastest possible speed, repeats nothing, omits his own call‐sign for extended periods, does not repeat calling instructions: all in order to truncate transmissions as much as possible, to save micro‐seconds. He even may set the software to speed up the ‘5NN’ to shave another few micro‐seconds off the time needed to complete a QSO. To maximise the QSO rate is laudable and also this gives the adrenalin kick that the DXpeditioner craves.
But many Callers do not hear such ultra‐brief transmissions because they are sending their call‐sign at that moment. When they do not hear ‘North America only’ how are callers in other continents supposed to know that they should now stay quiet? So they keep calling and are then criticised for calling out of turn. They are blamed for the chaos when in fact the DXpedition operator was the root cause. Had he slowed down a little and/or sent the instruction twice perhaps the chaos would have een avoided or at least reduced.
Flexibility
Remaining flexible is of course essential. We all know that when signals are weak slowing down helps but there are many other ways in which flexibility can reduce pile‐up chaos. If there is much QRM then it might be wise for the DXpedition operator to repeat the call‐sign of the station being worked. How about ‘W1AAA 5NN W1AAA’ instead of sending it just once. If the time invested to complete the contact in this slower way leads to fewer repeat transmissions then it must be a good investment. And QSO rate may actually
increase.
Another important way in which DXpedition operating tactics often seem to generate chaos is by not sending his own call‐sign for long periods. The extra time needed to send the call‐sign at least once per minute or at least once every 2‐3 QSOs is surely a wise investment. It helps to maintain rhythm and therefore control and again the QSO rate increases, delivering more than enough pay‐back for those lost micro‐seconds.
The same might be said about calling instructions: repeating ‘UP 2’, or ‘Europe only’ at the end of every QSO also helps to maintain consistency. The extra degree of control and the resulting reduced pile‐up chaos is well worth the additional time required to send this extra content.
Slow Down
To regain normality on the bands when a DXpedition pile‐up gets out of control maybe it takes only one small change in attitude: the DXpedition operator should slow down. The modern trend of highspeed, truncated transmissions has perhaps gone a little too far. Just slowing down a little and repeating information with longer transmissions can make a big difference. It also undoubtedly reduces chaos, Continuous Callers, and Deliberate QRMers.
After all, the intention is to complete the maximum possible number of contacts in the time available. If slowing down and repeating content reduces the number of repeat transmissions and duplicate QSOs then the overall outcome may be a higher number of QSOs logged. The tortoise wins the race!
