The BIG PICTURE Of Expedition Operating And The Direct Relationship To
ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIOR
© 2013 Eric (“Rick”) Hilding, K6VVA * The Locust
Hello, this is Rick, K6VVA, The Locust, with a look at The BIGPICTURE of Expedition Operating And The Direct Relationship ToANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIOR.
That’s a mouthful, huh?
This is an expanded version and title change of the presentation I made for the 2012 Central Texas DX Contest Club session at Austin Summer fest, and the 2013 Visalia International DXConvention IOTA DINNER.
Now unless you’ve been hibernating in a cave, or have had your head buried in the sand, then you’re aware that International Goodwill & Friendship – for decades the “Gold Standard” and Hallmark of Amateur Radio camaraderie, has taken a major hit. When it comes to the DX Highway and operating in the Pileups – including IOTA - International Goodwill & Friendship has gone down the crapper.
The line from a famous movie says it all: “HOUSTON – WE HAVE PROBLEM !!!” And that problem is Ham Radio’s “Dirty LittleSecret”… Doggie Doo-Doo in the form of ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUPBEHAVIOR being spread across the Ham Radio bands.
Reality Check: “DENIAL” is NOT a river in Egypt!!! Fortunately, there is a solution for every problem. But in order to solve any problem… we must first identify the cause or causes of the problem.
Several years ago I was privileged to join a small InternationalGroup of mostly well-known DX’ers and other very experiencedExpeditioners, including some fellow FOC members. There were ten of us in a sort of small group “Brain Trust”, with focused discussions of on-air operating behavior and principles involving the DX CODE Of Conduct. Some members of the group hadalso participated in formulating the DX CODE Of Conduct ForExpeditioners, as well as the educational content for DXUNIVERSITY – A Guide for DXers and DXpeditioners.
With regard to Expedition operating, we had much discussion and a lot of analysis of behavior observed in Expedition pileups.
Some of us made Stereo .mp3 Recordings of actual pileups toanalyze. We identified Cause and Effect relationships basedupon what the Expedition Operators did, or… what the Expedition Operators did NOT do, that always resulted in “Predictable”, UNnecessary CHAOS and CONFUSION, leading to ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIOR. In every case, it was always due to a major lack ofoperational consistency – ESPECIALLY with “Major” Expeditions.
As we discussed the observed shortfalls in Expedition operatorprocedures that always resulted in predictable ANTI-SOCIALPILEUP BEHAVIOR, we also formulated new operating strategiesdesigned to hopefully mitigate the common problems.
My next Four Expeditions in a 9 month period also became ON-AIR“Experimental Laboratories” – to test and then evaluate theresults of trying the various new strategies.
I’m thankful for the great opportunity to have been a part ofthis small group, as the experience has helped me to be a betterExpedition Operator. I now make .mp3 audio recordings of my entire Expeditions, and also keep a diary of my observations while operating, for Post-Expedition review of any new ideas, and to fine-tune and re-tweak anything for the next Expedition.
But I’ve had a 2nd vested interest in the process, inanticipation of “THE MOTHER” of all pileups involving myproposed “CW ONLY” IOTA Expedition as P5/K6VVA. I’m aware of 5other competing groups seeking P5 License approval, so it willbe interesting to see who gets there first. “Stay Tuned…”
In discussing the observed and escalated ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIOR with a number of other Expeditioners, as well as Pile- Up participants, collectively some of the problems appear to bea reflection of societal degradation on a Global basis. But I also have a 2nd Theory… as a contributing factor, and this is based on the principle of “Compound Interest.
In the financial realm, “Compound Interest” is a positive thing.
As the interest on principle grows, and grows, and grows, theresulting financial gain is a welcomed outcome.
However, when the DX Highway becomes a pileup, then Anger,
Frustration and Hostility build up in many callers for reasonsI’ll be discussing. So when there are back to back expeditionsthat take place, or multiple expeditions active at the sametime, here is my theory.
These internalized emotions & feelings are never fully processedbefore the next pileup. So the residual Anger, Frustration andHostility “compound” as they grow, and grow, and grow and growinto what sometimes manifests as ON-AIR ROAD RAGE and outpouringof Profanity – even on “CW”, and in Cluster System postings.
WE need to break this vicious cycle. It needs to STOP… and itneeds to stop NOW !!! “International Goodwill & Friendship” needs to be restored to mitigate the Doggie Doo Doo that keeps being spread across the Ham Bands.
REALITY CHECK. You’re probably familiar with the expression“Life is too short for QRP.” I say: “Life is too short forANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIOR!!!” If you look at the ages of most Ham Operators who attend DX Conventions, see QRZ.COM Photos and Expeditioner Photos, it does not take a “Rocket Scientist” to see that DX’ing is now primarily an “Old Folks” Hobby. This includes IOTA Chasers here in the U.S.A. And sadly, the “SK” – “Silent Key” factor is accelerating ;-(
So as most of us “Old Timers” are now in “The Sunset period ofour Lives”, wouldn’t it be nice… if everyone in the DX World and IOTA World could look forward to living out their few remaining“Golden Years” in a Golden Angelic Ham Radio Paradise – filled with DX and IOTAs, but without ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIOR? With “Human Nature” being just that, “it ain’t gonna happen.”
HOWEVER, we ALL have a duty and a responsibility to at least A-T-T-E-M-P-T to restore some “International Goodwill & Friendship” on the Ham bands – especially on the DX Highway.
We didn’t have Psychologist or Psychiatrist member of the smallInternational “Brain Trust” discussion group. But I’m confident that if Sigmund Freud would have joined us, he would have written volumes about the “Mob Mentality” and the “Acting Out” of deep-seated emotional and mental problems by some of the callers repeatedly observed in the pileups.
It would have been nice to also get Freud’s opinion on the outward manifestations of what I call “HWS” – HUNGRY WOLF SYNDROME, which has afflicted most callers in the pileups.
I think most people will agree that F-E-A-R … the FEAR of NOT making a desired QSO in any pileups, is a primary factor driving the outwards expressions of ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIOR.
Most ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIOR is the result of DysfunctionalInter-Relations of what I call “THE BIG 5”.
#1: Callers on the EXPD Frequency
#2: Zero Beat “UP COPS”
#3: Idiot Tuner-Upper LIDS
#4: “PSYCHO” Jammers
#5: The “Profanity Peddlers” – both on-air and in cluster Postings.
But what is the Main Cause? Primarily, it’s the ExpeditionOperator !!!
There are 10 FACTORS contributing to unnecessary ANTI-SOCIALPILEUP BEHAVIOR.
#1: FAILURE of the Expedition Operator to ALWAYS send “UP” after each and every QSO when operating “Split”.
Our analysis of pileups revealed this to be a primary cause of ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIOR.” OMG !!! Such a simple thing to do, but fartoo many Expedition operators simply don’t understand “The BIGPICTURE” or what happens on their own operating frequency.
EXPD operators need to realize that there are “Casual Operators” on the bands. Some of these folks may only turn on their rigs once every 2 or 3 months, and believe it or not, actually turn their VFO knobs in search of DX… like many of us “Old Timers” used to do back in the “Good Old” pre-cluster days.
Many of these Casual Operators are NON-Cluster Trolls, and don’tsubscribe to DX Newsletters. Expedition Operators who mistakenlyassume that every caller uses the cluster system, and/or hasread about their Expedition in advance via a Newsletter orWebsite makes a very serious mistake.
Expedition operators need to also understand than all DX Chasers – and IOTA Chasers on the Ham bands are NOT the sharpest cards in the PILEUP deck.
A few words about on-the-Expedition Frequency callers. Many ofthese are “Innocent” casual who operators happen across a DXstation working “SPLIT” who sends only “TU” at the end of a QSO.
Knowing that one can NOT always hear the other station beingworked by a “SIMPLEX” Expedition operator, any reasonable calleris going to jump right in and call on that frequency afterhearing “TU” and nothing else. The fact that too many expeditionoperators start off or always operate “Simplex” is anotherproblem.
So as one or more of these “Innocent” callers start calling on the expedition operator’s frequency (assuming it’s a “Simplex” deal because of the lack of “UP”), immediately arrive the “UP POLICE” - usually Zero-Beat on the expedition operator’s signal.
The “UP POLICE” actually do provide a useful service, exceptthey also generate loud zero-beat QRM right on the expeditionoperator. And why is it that most “UP COPS” use straight keysand have terrible fists? Many I’ve heard can’t even send thetwo letters “U” and “P” without screwing up.
As this circus sideshow unfolds, the Anger, Frustration andHostility builds up in pileup callers, and then manifests withincreased incidents of “Profanity Peddlers” appearing to spewforth vulgarity via Morse Code (or on shout it SSB) as well asin cluster postings. It is PREDICTABLE and UNNECESSARYRepetitive INSANITY. And it is ALWAYS the clueless ExpeditionOperator’s fault!!!
Fortunately, there is a very simple SOLUTION for this dilemma:
Expedition Operators just need to Program the Logging Software to ALWAYS send “UP” after each and every QSO when working SPLIT. DUH! This is NOT “Rocket Science”.
Some Expedition operators say “But I mostly use my paddles tosend CW.” HUH? “News Flash!!!” This is a Human Brain… the most powerful and under-utilized Super Computer in the World. TheExpedition operator who fully understand “The Big Picture OfExpedition Operating And The Direct Relationship To Anti-SocialPileup Behavior” only has to “program” his Human Super-Computerto ALWAYS send “UP” at the end of each and every QSO.
Expedition Operators: “WAKE UP !!!” Failure to send “UP after each and every QSO on CW or indicate where you are listening on SSB, is the primary cause of ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIOR.
#2: FAILURE to I.D. Frequently. OMG !!! Another cause of ANTI- SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIOR.
The following brief summary is of a Real-World “Case Study” inour small “Brain Trust” Group.
There was an Eastern European Expedition to a Pacific Island. Tobest describe what I personally observed on the air by one ofthe expedition operators, it would be: “HORROW SHOW”.
This Expedition Operator made QSOs for 30 Minutes with Nocallsign I.D. In my opinion, that was total foolishness andirresponsible. Also, the Expedition operator rarely sent “UP”
after every QSO.
To make things worse, there was another similar callsignexpedition to the Pacific at the same time. And many clusterpostings made were for the WRONG Expedition. Most likely someQSLs came back as “NOT-IN-LOG”.
Predictably, during the 30 minute period I monitored, there weremany “CALL?” queries made Zero-Beat on the expedition operator’sfrequency (and in the pileup). Of course this brought out theAngry, Frustrated and Hostile “Profanity Peddlers” as additionalQRM on the expeditioner’s frequency.
This “Horror Show” could have been avoided, IF the ExpeditionOperator had understood “The BIG PICTURE Of Expedition OperatingAnd The Direct Relationship To Anti-Social Pileup Behavior.”
As a “SIDE-BAR”, one of our small group members was a prolificpromoter of the DX CODE Of Conduct. He had previously spent manyhours diligently contacting the organizers and team leaders ofannounced upcoming expeditions, asking them to incorporate theDX CODE Of CONDUCT, and the DX CODE Of Conduct ForExpeditioners. This is why we all started seeing the DX CODE ofCONDUCT logo on the majority of expedition websites.
He told us there were only two situations where the DX CODE of CONDUCT was refused. Guess what? The Expedition in this “Case- Study” was one of them, and the reason given? The ExpeditionOrganizers said they had their own “Operating Ethics”. Theysure did, and in my opinion, those “Operating Ethics” were“BASIC LID”, which caused the Anger, Frustration & Hostility insome pileup callers to mushroom and the UN-Restrained to “ActOut” their Anger & Frustration as ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIORon the expedition operator’s frequency.
Some experienced expeditioners suggest giving the callsign I.D. after each QSO. While this is an admirable goal – especiallywith a short callsign, many of us believe that every 3 to 4 QSOsis more reasonable. On CW with a long callsign like K6VVA/KL7often followed by an IOTA Designator, ID’ing after each QSO isnot very practical. On my last IOTA Expedition I did test a fewperiods with a callsign I.D. every 5 QSOs, but then observedseveral unidentified stations inside the pileup start sending“CALL?” That seemed to be the edge of the envelope.
#3: FAILURE to turn the VFO knob.
One of the most frustrating things to pileup callers – especially Little Pistol stations onSSB, is to hear the Expedition operator say “Listening UP 5 to10”, but always leaving his VFO on “5 UP”. Failure of theExpedition Operator turn the VFO knob on CW yields similarresults of only the loudest signals getting worked. Yes, “Size Does Matter” when it comes to RF, and this causes Anger, Frustration and Hostility to build up. And when someone sends“CALL?” on the Expeditioner’s frequency, ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUPBEHAVIOR most often by the Profanity Peddlers takes place.
On SSB, it’s very easy for the Expedition Operator to remedythis situation by increasing the indicated listening range, aslong as the operator actually turns the VFO knob instead ofleaving it stuck on one receive frequency.
Spreading Out (or “UP”) a CW Pileup is NOT so easy. The JA operators are very good about frequently moving “UP” above the main pileup crowd, giving the Expedition Operator who does turn the VFO dial some less QRM callsign availabilities. Europeancallers tend to stay “huddled” together in a cluster. So whenmost caller signals are weak with heavy Polar Path QSB (what Imostly experience up in KL7), experimentation of methods to tryand spread OUT the pileup on CW remains a work-in-progress.
On my last KL7 IOTA trip I gave advance notification of what I planned to do on the expedition websites.
I sent “UP 1/3”, “UP 2/5”, even spelling out “UP 1 TO 3”, etc., along with “UP WIDE” (or) “SPREAD OUT”, but sometimes to no avail. I learned first hand that not every caller is thesharpest card in the Pileup deck. The saavy operators seemed tocatch on quickly, but not the majority. So with this item, eachexpedition will continue to be part of an “ON-AIR” ExperimentalLaboratory agenda.
#4: FAILURE with Partial Callsigns.
There is some controversy among Expeditioners and Expedition Team Leaders on this subject.
Some suggest only responding to a full callsign. Depending onthe composition of a pileup and if callers are NOT spread outsufficiently, the majority of us believe that responding topartial callsigns can help keep a better rhythm flow in motion.
If pileup callers do NOT hear the expedition operator sending(or saying) something on a timely basis, then what I call AnalAnxiety, , Cranial Confusion and Pulmonary Pulsing can fuel theunderlying F-E-A-R of many pileup callers that they won’t beable to make a QSO.
But there has been a major problem with the operating procedureused to work “Partials”… that contributes to unnecessary QRM andultimate ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIOR.
On CW, most pileup callers use “QSK” in order to stop sendingwhen the expedition operator resumes transmitting. However, a 1by 2 callsign Suffix sent only one time @ 35WPM, comes out likea blip on the radar. Even with QSK at a slower 30WPM, mostpileup callers will only hear the last couple of dits or dahssent by the Expedition operator. “REALITY CHECK” - Human nature
being what it is, the majority will resume calling again, perpetuating the same QRM in the pileup that originally QRM’d getting a Full Callsign to begin with.
A suggest “FIX” by one member in our small group was to “Sendthe partial call 2 to 3 times.” What a BRILLIANT Idea !!! This would allow caller’s QSK to shut off and copy the “Partial” sent by the expedition operator at least one time.
So I made another Expedition to test out this new strategy.
Having pre-programmed an F-Key on the Confuzer to now send apartial callsign 3 times, here’s what I was pleased to observedthe very first test.
As the logger sent the partial one time, there were many callersstill sending who would not have copied it. After the second time, there were far less stations still calling. After the third time, there were few to none, and it was very easy to get the full callsign of the station I originally responded to. Andalmost everyone knew what was taking place. BINGO !!!
I later changed the F Key to send a partial only two times, butfound this still yielded acceptable results. This is a criticalfactor with QSB and weak signals, and benefits both theExpedition operator and ALL pileup callers. Sending a PartialCallsign at least 2 to 3 times should be every ExpeditionOperator’s “Mantra”, and is even more important on SSB becausethere are no QSK capabilities like with CW.
In any event, when responding to a partial call, the Expeditionoperator must persist to get the full callsign, at least 5 timesor more regardless of out-of-turn-caller LID QRM, or until thepartial signal fades into the local noise. And to always send“NIL” at least 2 times BEFORE taking new callers !!! More about out-of-turn-caller pileup “LIDS” in a few moments.
#5: Sending too fast in WPM. The Expedition operator MUST be aneffective “COMMUNICATOR” regardless of conditions.
REALITY CHECK !!! The average speed of most callers in a pileupis LESS THAN 30 WPM. The CW Expedition operator MUST understandthat many callers may have heavy QSB Polar Path problems tryingto copy. Then there is the issue of Code Readers. Independentsurveys have indicated approximately 15 percent of all pileupcallers use these devices which are heavily affected by QSB.
Estimates are that Hearing Aids are also in use by another 15percent of pileup callers. Many of those in a pileup are QRSoperators well below 30WPM. And when signals are weak, and ifthe Expedition operator sends too fast, all these factorscombined add up to “A Recipe For Pileup DISASTER” with theresulting fallout being ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIOR.
In some cases, the Expedition operator sending at 38 WPM is either Arrogant, Ignorant or Both. The SSB equivalent isspeaking too fast – especially if the operator has an “Accent”.
ALL Pileup instructions require QRS WPM on CW, and QRS speakingon SSB. For CW, the recommended effective running speed is 30WPM or less,and a further QRS when signals are weak with QSB !!!
All Expedition Operators need to remember that not every calleris the sharpest card in the pileup deck. Again, this is NOT“Rocket Science”… it is “Common Sense”.
#6: Responding to OUT-OF-TURN Callers.
Expedition operators mustN-E-V-E-R respond to OUT-OF-TURN Callers !!! N-E-V-E-R !!! If
they do, the “Hungry Wolf Syndrome” will be fully unleashed inthe pack, and like sharks who smell “blood in the water”, thepileup callers will realize that the Expedition operator hasLOST CONTROL of the pileup, and more OUT-OF-TURN CALLING willtake place along with Unnecessary CHAOS and CONFUSION… leadingto full-blown ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIOR.
There are 3 major Geographic areas of pileup callers.
• EUROPE
• The U.S.A & Canada (or, NORTH AMERICA)
• ASIA – Primarily “JA”
It’s time for a “Straight Talk” REALITY CHECK.
Based upon my involvement with the small “Brain Trust” group, many discussions with other experienced Expeditioners, my observations as a participant in many Pileups, and as an Expeditioner myself on 10 Expeditions in the last two and a half years, I can say that with a few exceptions, “JA” operators are the most polite and “Gentlemen” callers in pileups. The USA & Canada have far too many OUT-OF-TURN-CALLER Pileup LIDS.
European operators in general are the most UN-DISCIPLINEDOUT-OF-TURN Pileup Callers. I really get tired of hearingExpedition operators saying “Europe Standby”, “Europe Standby” …
But Europe does NOT Standby ;-( The highest percentage ofEuropean OUT-OF-TURN Pileup LIDS have callsigns that begin withthe letter “I”. Unfortunately, these are the observed FACTS.
When anyone is on the DX Highway – even if it looks like this{{{ A BIG PILEUP }}} – it makes absolutely NO DIFFERENCE what Country any pileup caller resides in, or what the local“Cultural Customs” are in that Country for decision making, whether that be driving above the speed limit, cheating on taxes or even cutting in a line for theatre tickets.
“International Goodwill & Friendship” – The “Gold Standard” and“Hallmark” for decision making in social behavior by an AmateurRadio operator requires that everyone behave as a “Gentleman” onthe Ham Bands – especially in a pileup on the DX Highway !!!
The Expedition operator is the Primary “Traffic Cop” on the DXHighway. So when the expedition operator responds to a Full Callsign, a Partial Callsign, asks for callers “By The Numbers” or a specific Geographic Area… that is NOT even close to YOUR Callsign or Area, “International Goodwill & Friendship” dictates that YOU need to STAND BY … and WAIT YOUR TURN.
Let me repeat this again. When the expedition operator responds to a Full Callsign, a Partial Callsign, asks for callers “By The Numbers” or a specific Geographic Area… that is NOT even closeto YOUR Callsign or Area, “International Goodwill & Friendship” dictates that YOU need to STAND BY … and WAIT YOUR TURN. Act like a grown “ADULT” and show “SELF-RESTRAINT”. Unfortunately, many operators in the pileups behave like whining little babies with no patience, and toddlers in need of “Potty Training”.
This is a pair of wire strippers. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could have a similar pair of “LID STRIPPERS” – to easily strip away all OUT-OF-TURN-CALLER LIDS in the pileups? Especially theCallsign “Prefix Only” and “Suffix Only” LIDS, along with the“Geography” LIDS.
A recent observation of ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP Behavior was while I
listening to an Expedition operator asking for “JA ONLY” duringa limited opening period to that Geographic Area. He wasunfortunately working “Simplex”. QRM’ing the “JA” callers eachtime were voices screaming “Sudamerica, Sudamerica” as well as“Prefix Only” LID callers from that Continent. And par for thecourse was one Italian LID operator in the mix continuallyshouting his “Suffix Only”. Like with those busted for “drivingunder the influence” of alcohol, it’s too bad we can’t arrestall OUT-OF-TURN-CALLER LIDS and send them immediately To “LIDJAIL”.
Some Out-Of-Turn-Caller “LID” behavior is due to a violation of this CRITICAL item in the DX CODE Of Conduct which is: “I will only call if I can copy the DX station properly.”
But sometimes an Expedition operator is also to blame. When working “By The Numbers” or “Geographic Areas”, these pileup instructions MUST be repeated after E-V-E-R-Y QSO !!! Let me
repeat this again. These pileup Instructions MUST be repeatedafter E-V-E-R-Y QSO !!! The Expedition Operator who fullyunderstands “The BIG PICTURE Of Expedition Operating And TheDirect Relationship To ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIOR” realizesthat like Hungry Wolves, the pileup callers hang on every ditand dah (or word or SSB), and if he fails just one time toALWAYS repeat the instructions, callers from all areas ornumbers will start calling again. That is the reality ofthings.
A word about “TAILENDING”. Decades ago - back in “The Good OldDays”, PROPER Tailending is how many of us cracked the pileups.
But Expedition Operators should N-E-V-E-R respond to Pileup Tailenders, because in the Cluster World of today, this will only lead to CHAOS and the resulting ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIOR.
Some Out-Of-Turn-Caller LIDS in the pileups are Newcomers whoneed some training. This is where exposure to the DX CODE ofCONDUCT as well as the detailed educational materials on the
DX UNIVERSITY website can be of great benefit. Others developedbad habits listening to Chronic Out-Of-Turn Caller LIDS I call“BULLY LIDS” ;-( More about these Reprobates in a few moments.
REALITY CHECK. Being “Human”, at some point everyone will UN-Intentionally “SCREW UP” and make a mis-calculated or ill-timed call. It has happened to all of us at least once. In the game ofGolf there’s something called a “MULLIGAN”. This like a “DO-OVER”, or a “2nd Chance”. So considering that the majority ofpileup callers are now “Senior Citizens”, it may be reasonableto grant all pileup callers 1 or 2 pileup “Mulligans” per year.
That’s PER YEAR, and NOT per-pileup, except for those I haveappropriately labeled as “BULLY LIDS”. And just by coincidence, that brings us to…
#7: NOT Confronting BULLY LIDS.
BULLY BEHAVIOR is a majorproblem in the World today and not just in the DX and IOTAPileups. And the tragic consequences of “BULLY ATTACKS” arethat Teenage victims of Bullying often commit suicide.
In the World of DX’ing and pileups, BULLY LID-ISM is really UN- Sportsmanlike conduct toward other competitors on the DX Highway, especially when it looks like this {{{ PILEUP PHOTO }}}
But that is NOT an excuse for BULLY Behavior. In the World of Pro Sports, BULL LIDS would be quickly thrown O-U-T of any game or put in a Penalty Box.
Let’s look at the Profile of a “BULLY LID”. A “BULLY LID” is a “PERPETUAL” H-A-R-D C-O-R-E Out-Of-Turn “LID” caller in Pileups.
A BULLY LID is Arrogant, Self-Centered, Selfish (with a ME-ME-MEMentality) and has absolutely NO Self-Restraint. The operating principles in the DX-CODE Of CONDUCT have fallen on “Deaf Ears” and are of no interest to the BULLY LID.
If you stop and think about it…a “BULLY LID” is actually a typeof “PILEUP TERRORIST” who attempts to “HI-JACK” QSOs away fromthe more deserving. The “BULLY LID” epitomizes ANTI-SOCIALPILEUP BEHAVIOR. Unfortunately, most BULLY LIDS have “BigSignals”, many observed are #1 DXCC Honor Roll, on the IOTAHonour Roll, and sadly, some here in the USA are Directors andOfficers of well known Ham Radio organizations. These are the same people who should set a good example for others to follow, but who never learned that “Good Sportsman” Conduct applies to any playing field…including the DX Highway… even when it looks like this {{{ Pileup Photo }}}.
A TRUE STORY. Several years ago there was a huge expeditionpileup on 40m CW one morning. Regardless of what full callsignor any partial callsign the Expedition operator sent… that wasnowhere close to his call…one “Well Known” DX’er kept callingand calling and calling OUT-OF-TURN each and every time.
After hearing 20 of these Out-Of-Turn Calls in a row, I sent anemail – suggesting that his Out-Of-Turn-Calling did NOT set agood example for others, and made reference to the DX CODE OfCONDUCT for his review and study.
This was the essence of his email reply. “How dare you criticizemy operating style !!! And besides, I know some of theExpedition operators.” HUH? The fact he claimed to know some of the Expedition operators was no excuse for his Chronic Out Of-Turn calling. He did have an “Operating Style” alright, andis was HARD-CORE “BULLY LID”.
In discussions with fellow Expeditioners, some suggest ignoringBULLY LIDS, but I disagree and here’s why. The Innocent in the pileups deserve an “ADVOCATE”. And that is a responsibilitythat belongs to the Expedition Operator. I have always beenimpressed by Expedition operators who persist to try andcomplete what they started with ANY caller, and I made a vowalways try and follow this myself.
There are also situations where BULLY LIDS can NOT just beignored. Here’s an example from my recent IOTA NA-152 EXPEDITION.
With 770 “JA” QSOs in my NA-152 log, unfortunately there were four “JA” BULLY LIDS who were NOT “Gentlemen” operators. Their BULLY LID “Tactics” were to immediately Zero-Beat other stations I had just responded to, whether involving a full callsign or partial callsign… and start calling over the top of their fellow“JA”. Here’s an audio clip of one of these Zero-Beat “JA” BULLYLID encounters {{{ .mp3 clip }}} That particular “JA” BULLY LID
– a JA6 - was dealt with during a subsequent episode when I wasable to accurately copy his full callsign. He received my new“Response To BULLY LIDS”, which is to QRS in WPM and:
• Send the BULLY LID Callsign 3 times, followed by
• QRT QRT
• NOT U
• SK SK & then re-start the pileup with either UP or CQ’ing.
Guess what ??? Everyone in the pileup knows who the BULLY LIDIS, and other BULLY LID and OOTC’s QRT and the pileup startsbehaving. The QSO rate goes back UP sometimes for an hour or more until the next BULLY LID shows up to be dealt with. So with those who won’t follow The DX CODE Of Conduct with their operating, when “nice” doesn’t work, BOLD ACTION IS REQUIRED.
If I am fortunate to operate as P5/K6VVA on my proposed CW OnlyIOTA Expedition, “EU” stations especially need to understand…
ALL BULLY LIDS will receive my BULLY LID On-Air QRT Message, everyone in the pileup will know their BULLY LID callsign(s), and audio clips of all BULLY LIDS will be put on the official Expedition Website after returning from P5. That’s how it’sgoing to work.
So I want to encourage my fellow Expeditioners to put on your“Big Boy Pants” – or “Big Boy Island Shorts”, grow-a-pair, andbegin to CONFRONT BULLY LIDS On-Air !!! Those who play by therules will thank you !!!
BUT WAIT… There’s MORE…
#8: The Expedition “Team Leaders” (also often the “Expedition Organizers”) contribute to ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIOR. The most common problem with all Expeditions is a lack ofconsistency in on-air operating.
The Expedition “Team Leaders” must have accountability to insureconsistency of on-air operating by ALL team members. There canbe NO “Rogue” operators – like in the example mentioned of theexpedition operator who made QSOs for 30 minutes without givinga callsign I.D. “Team Leaders” need to be REAL “LEADERS”, andfully understand “The BIG PICTURE” Of Expedition Operating AndThe Direct Relationship To Anti-Social Pileup Behavior” BEFOREsetting foot on a boat or plane to a DX location. They are alsoresponsible for any operator training needed.
#9: The “Funding” Organizations.
You may have heard the expression “Stuff flows downhill”. In this case, it’s not onlyfinances but the accountability for the responsible use thereof.
And as Stewards of all the “Other People’s Money” that’s been donated to the Funding Organization, as a pre-requisite too obtaining ANY Expedition monies, Funders need firm commitments that an expedition will operate on-air Consistently with proven strategies that reduce ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIOR. Funders also need to monitor the On-Air expedition operating.
For Funding Organizations to give thousands and often tens of thousands of dollars for an expedition group to come back and say “look how many QSOs we made”, but with disregard for the piles of dog doo-doo spread across the ham bands in the form of unnecessary CHAOS and CONFUSION that led to rampant ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIOR causing “International Goodwill & Friendship” to go down the crapper in the process, is irresponsibility from the top down. So before forking over $$$ to ANY expedition, Fundersneed to insure that the Team Leaders and ALL ExpeditionOperators fully understand “The BIG PICTURE Of ExpeditionOperating And The Direct Relationship To Anti-Social PileupBehavior”,
Last but not least…
#10: Operating “SIMPLEX”.
Simplex is BAD… a very BAD IDEA for Expeditions. Simplex is EVIL ;-( And don’t you just LOVE IT…when trying to copy a 449 Expedition signal working Simplex, while the Expedition operator is H-A-M-M-E-R-E-D by S-NINE PLUS Zero-Beat Cluster Trolls, all the Non-Stop Calling, so even if the expedition operator decides to finally start working“SPLIT”, that you can’t copy the QSY info?
In today’s “Cluster World”, operating “Simplex” almostguarantees an instant “LIDFEST”, or what some Cluster Postersoften refer to as a “ZOO”. I call it “The Ultimate Cluster Cluck”, and it is always UNNECESSARY. So when it comes to “Expeditions”, the admonition is to Always START and operate“SPLIT”.
The one exception: “Contest-Peditions” for obvious reasons, because working “Split” would cause even greater chaos and confusion on the Ham Bands. Sharp CW Contesters are the most DISCIPLINED operators in these forced-simplex circumstances.
Notice the absence of any Anti-Social Pileup Behavior in thefollowing audio clip example from when I operated as VP2VVA inthe 2009 ARRL CW DX Contest. {{{ .mp3 clip }}}
That’s the way it should be in ALL pileups. Adults behaving like“Gentlemen”, and waiting their turn !!! It’s called “Good Sportsmanship” even in competition. No ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIOR, and thanks to everyone’s self-restrained NON-LID operating , I also benefited by winning the “First Place World” in he Single Operator 20 Meters CW category. That’s what can happen when everyone plays by the rules of “International Goodwill & Friendship” on the Ham Bands and even in the pileups. Thanks again, guys !!!
CONCLUSION. The increase in ANTI-SOCIAL PILEUP BEHAVIOR is destroying our hobby. So what are the solutions? How about this one: a “Competency Test” for Expedition Operators !!!
One salient question on such a test would certainly be:
“Do you understand why it’s absolutely necessary to ALWAYS send “UP” after EVERY QSO when working “SPLIT” ???
As I’ve said before, this is NOT “Rocket Science”. Rather, ALL Expedition operators, ALL Team Leaders, ALL Expedition Organizers and ALL Expedition Funders need to fully understand “The BIG PICTURE Of Expedition Operating And The Direct Relationship To Anti-Social Pileup Behavior. And if they do, there will be little future need for the loud Zero-Beat “UP POLICE” that always QRM the Expedition Operator and the resulting additional fallout.
In reality, the “Ultimate COP” and “Traffic Officer” in a pileup is really supposed to be the Expedition operator.
When it comes to the problem of all those zero-beat LIDS tuning up on the Expedition operator’s frequency, how about this idea … “ITF”… an International Tuner-Upper Frequency. ONE designated
frequency in each of the CW, Digital & SSB mode portions of each band as legally allowed. Now wouldn’t that be nice? However, I would still get irritated as heck watching the S-Meter increase 10dB while listening to all the U.S.A. amplifiers being tuned up on 30 meters to 1,500 watts - or more ;-(
And how about some “Psychiatric help” for all the Jammers, Psycho Posters to the Cluster System, the BULLY LIDS and “Pee- Rats” (those nasty Pirates)???
EDUCATION is part of the solution, but will only work for those with an attitude of willingness to learn. Here in the U.S.A., about 10,000 people now “Retire” EACH DAY !!! This also means many “OLD” DXers will be back “On-Air” as employment careers end, and all the money saved to build their Dream “Super Station” will result in even more loud signals and QRM in the pileups.
It will be imperative that as many of these folks as possible inculcate the DX CODE Of Conduct into their on-air operating. Those with dreams of being “DX” need to absorb the wisdom in the DX CODE Of Conduct for EXPEDITIONERS, and everyone can benefit from the wealth of operating materials available on the DX
UNIVERSITY website. DX UNIVERSITY “Live Seminars” are also a highly recommended source of “EDUCATION”.
Here’s how to do YOUR Part to reduce unnecessary ANTI-SOCIALPILEUP BEHAVIOR. Do some personal “OBSERVATION” … especially right at the start of any new major Expedition that shows up. Leave one Receiver (or VFO) on the Expedition Operator’s frequency, and listen IN the pileup with a second radio or VFO. You’ll get a real “EDUCATION” as to the seriousness of the overall problems.
From pileup to pileup, you’ll hear a lot of “Newcomers” who needto receive some “Education”. You’ll also hear many of the same“BULLY LIDS” perpetually calling out of turn. So then be
“PROACTIVE”. Do everyone a favor… write down the callsigns ofall blatant out-of-turn-callers you hear, and then Email each ofthem the DX CODE Of Conduct and DX University website URLs. If
you don’t feel comfortable doing this, then at least invest insome envelopes and stamps, and snail mail a copy of the DX CODEOf Conduct and URL to the DX University website. You can do
this “Anonymously”. There are no laws I know of requiring you toinclude a return address on an envelope.
Buckle up and have some serious One-On-One Discussions with anyChronic Out-Of-Turn Caller’s and “BULLY LIDS” you know. Be
prepared for some “resistance” and “rationalizations” for theirLID operating behavior. But one thing is for sure… to sit back and do nothing is a real Cop-Out…and things will just continueto get WORSE. So WE all need to do OUR part, to try and helprestore “International Goodwill & Friendship” back on the DXHighway… even when it looks like this.
So unless you’ve had your head buried in the sand during thispresentation, now you know “The BIG PICTURE” … “The BIG PICTUREOf Expedition Operating And The Direct Relationship To Anti-
Social Pileup Behavior” – along with a few other things.
DISCLAIMER: Some of my expressed viewpoints and rhetoric may not reflect those of all members of the “Small Group Brain Trust” :^)
