Critical Success factors

Few will ever have opportunity to operate as “rare DX”, experiencing the deafening roar at the DX-station-end of a phone pileup. Should we be so blessed, it can be both heart-stopping exciting, and mind-numbingly intimidating. But once we get rolling and contacts begin to fill the log, there is no greater thrill!

Whether we’re planning a one-week vacation trip to an island in the Caribbean, armed with our IC-7000 and enough coax and wire for a simple dipole, or whether we live in a semi-rare, or somewhat exotic country in South America, the following considerations may help us handle our pileups more efficiently and effectively, resulting in more contacts, and ultimately a more satisfying experience.

These are referred to as “Critical Success Factors” and they are meant as a guide for beginners for those who have interest in, and a passion for, the adventure of DXing and handling pileups.

Awareness and Support

Successfully handling a pileup requires three things: a knowledge and understanding of current and changing band conditions, an appreciation of propagation patterns, and feedback from trusted sources.

Knowing where, and how well we are being heard, and how propagation shifts over time, will help us more effectively manage our pileups, especially if we are operating from a rare, exotic or much sought-after call area. Awareness helps us understand caller behavior - how eager or excited callers can be to make the contact - especially if our operation is for a very brief period. Awareness can spell the difference between an orderly, well orchestrated undertaking with good pace and rhythm, versus sheer band chaos and pandemonium.

Understanding our station limitations can enhance our approach, attitude, and level of professionalism as we conduct business. For example, should we be plagued with local power line, atmospheric noise, or other severe receiving limitations, being aware of our station’s true capability is vital.

Independent of our operating skill, our ability and experience, or our station equipment and antenna system, awareness is a critical success factor governing our pileup handling success. The “who, what, where, why and how” of our operation - propagation, where we are on the band, other activity around us, our operating schedule, our support network - will all contribute to our level of awareness to help make the experience pleasurable and successful.

Control

Given the vagaries of propagation and the unpredictable nature of callers, we are rarely ever in complete control, however, certain operating techniques and practices may help us maintain control in handling our pileups.

For example, should the number or behavior of callers begin to negatively impact or significantly slow the orderly flow of contacts, we may want to consider changing from simplex to split operation. But before doing so, we need to understand the impact on others on the band around us, since our operation will now consume greater bandwidth. This change though, should be weighed against our personal knowledge and experience in operating “split”. Moeover, we need to have a good understanding of how to set our radios to the "split mode" - ahead of time.

So, before getting started, we need a game plan on how to proceed. How effectively we control the pileup will have a direct impact of the orderly and efficient flow of contacts.

As the DX station, we set the standard. And while it may be tempting to provide our name and location information on every contact, this will slow the process, since callers may be similarly motivated. If the volume of callers is large, stick to call sign and report (usually 5-9), then move on. Once we achieve a rhythm, pace and contact flow, taking into consideration caller volume, propagation, our comfort and ability, our degree of control will increase to the point where we can communicate instructions as required, and/or adjust our contact handling style on the fly.

Setting a good example is important, so remain calm - and be humble.

Nor should we ignore strong stations. Handle them first to get them out of the way, rather than having them call back again and again, blotting out weaker stations in the pileup. And, depending on our ability, knowledge or experience, demonstrate a spirit of fair play in maintaining control, avoiding a collapse into disorder. Don’t be afraid to say what call or call area we’re listening for. Conversely, avoid favoring any one continent, country or call area unduly, unless there’s a good reason to do so.

Decide early and show consistency in how we respond to callers - first station heard, last station heard, partial call signs, etc. - if only to establish a pattern. This will help improve the rhythm, pace and flow. If we set the standard early, and are consistent, the pileup can be better controlled, resulting in more contacts in our log, and a higher level of satisfaction - for all.

Do listen for QRP stations. And, avoid rewarding bad behavior.

Management

Most DX stations at the epicenter of a large pileup will face completing objectives best described as “quantity” versus “quality”. Irrespective of operator knowledge, experience or ability, pileup management will always be critical. How well we perform will ultimately have a huge impact on results.

For example, taking-in what we hear (and feel), and adjusting our style as required to improve the pace and rhythm of contacts, is a pre-requisite to handling a pileup effectively and efficiently. Practice does indeed make perfect, but nothing trumps smart listening with immediate remedial action. Importantly, we should let our personality, passion and versatility guide us in this regard - and we should have fun.

Always show respect, be courteous, and have empathy for callers who may exhibit varying levels of operating experience and skill, or language comprehension, not to mention station equipment and propagation conditions. Remember to use standard phonetics and enunciate our call sign and signal report clearly. An appropriate microphone feeding a properly adjusted transmitter - mic gain, compression level, treble and bass settings for good articulation - will contribute to successful pileup handling.

Managing our pileup handling performance intelligently is a critical success factor.

Playing to the Strengths of Propagation

Many new DXpeditioners or Hams vacationing outside North America who operate as “rare DX” may fail to appreciate propagation often determines who they should be listening for as a priority in pileups. For example, when operating from the Caribbean or from Latin America, the bands close earlier to Europe than they do to North America. 

So, we should listen for and work stations in eastern Europe and Russia first, saving western and southern Europe for late afternoon. Once the sun sets in Europe, we can turn our attention to North America, and repeat the strategy, starting with eastern USA/Canada, and recognizing when the band shifts, to the mid-west, and eventually to the west coast. 

Remember: the terminator line is our propagation enhancer for weak stations, especially across the poles to certain parts of Europe, Asia and the Pacific. Periodically we should ask stations to stand by as we listen for them. They can be worked if they are on frequency.

The important thing is not to forget to ask for them.

Miscellaneous

This final critical success factor deals with things largely beyond our control, viz., interference and misbehavers. How we handle these will set us apart from the crowd as a pro.

Interference, accidental or intentional, is a reality of pileups. Some may not like DXing (or contests) and some may show their displeasure by deliberately interfering with our operation. On the other hand, propagation may have changed and stations previously out of our skip zone now become clearly audible, resulting in interference to our pileup. No matter the circumstance, it is important to remain calm and avoid voicing anger or disrespectful language. Simply ask the pileup to standby while the situation clarifies itself and we can determine more clearly what we up against. Derogatory comments being addressed our way are best ignored. At worst, changing skip conditions may necessitate a change in our calling or listening frequency.

On the other hand, we may not need to do anything, because members in the pileup may already have identified the source of the interference and may have undertaken “action” to dissuade the interlopers. Soon the frequency will likely be clear again, and we can resume as if nothing had happened. Above all, do not engage with or acknowledge intentional interferers. Stick to the high road; we will likely find we have more supporters than we imagined, who will rally to our defence.

Should the interference situation become explosive or unpleasant, simply QSY. If this is not practical, take a break and come back to it later.

Regarding “misbehavers”: for those who make a general nuisance of themselves by calling out of turn regardless of who we say we’re listening for, or for those who call continuously over everyone else, it is best to ignore these callers (if possible). If we ignore them long enough, they may cease and desist, and simply go away. Importantly, avoid any display of displeasure and avoid mentioning their call sign. Instead, remain calm, proceeding as best we can, to work the pileup professionally. As mentioned earlier, we may not need to take any action; others may do it for us.

Maintaining proper balance and a positive attitude is key if things turn nasty. Remember, a pileup is far from being a matter of life or death, so keep cool, stay focused and be professional.

Finally, don’t forget to post QSL information via QRZ.com, our personal website, DX Coffee, Daily DX Bulletin, or on one of the many other Internet resources.

Enjoy your pileups - and good DX!