Is it just me, or have others noticed a difference between pileup behaviours when activating midweek compared to activating at weekends? It seems to me that midweek pileups are a free for all / wild west scenario. Everyone shouting all the time, even and especially when a partial call is put out by the activator. (Almost) nobody listens, just shouts. Weekends seem almost tame and well mannered by comparison. I always try for the weaker stations first, but it’s hard to get them in the log when they’re drowned out by repetitive strong signals.
I’ve ended up cutting the last few pileups short, which I don’t like doing as chasers are an essential part of the activity, partly because of the tough (windy and cold) conditions, but partly because it’s just been very difficult to work through the mess of noise. Has anyone else seen this?
Had the impression it is similar to morning vs. afternoon activations. In the morning (not too early) many call and it is hard to make QSOs, while in the afternoon people are more relaxed… maybe some coffee/tea contributing to it.Some waiting until it gets less crowded. Giving their call only once, which leads to a better QSO rate. Also less stations calling The XYL probably requesting more attention.
Hi Colm,
I cannot say I have seen a great difference between week day and weekend. However there seem to be more chasers at W/E. I find that the chasers listen very well and respect the current qso. I add the caveat that I mostly work CW at 50 W. So I guess I can be heard. My reports are very similar to to ones I give out.
The only difference that I see as a chaser is that if the POTA and WWFF people join in things get unruly. The regular SOTA chasers are usually well behaved, about two thirds of them also activate so know what its like on the summit.
Hi Colm,
I have found the exact opposite! On the rare occasions that I activate on a weekend, I find the pile-ups to be more aggressive and often suffer the constant QRM from wanna-be contest stations who don’t know the meaning of listening or checking a frequency before emitting an over-modulated pile of mush on the frequency. This often makes a weekend activation no fun at all. Note I say “Wanna-be” contest stations - the experienced and successful ones tend to follow the amateurs and DX codes.
Midweek, on the other hand, I find people more willing to wait and then chat a little themselves.
As regards how long you keep taking calls after you have the needed four - in winter conditions, it’s normal to work the easy ones and then pack up to get back into the warm before one’s hands are so cold that you can’t pack the equipment up.
I always try to work all who call but that can be a bad choice in cold or stormy conditions.
1/ During the week there are fewer spots and hunters who are always hungry jump at the chance in a not very good way! combined with the hunters of WWFF GMA etc…
2/ On the weekend the cluster recurgitates from 5 to 10 spots per minute, which has the effect of dispersing these beautiful people on all activation’s
From here in the western USA the weekday pileups are always smaller and don’t last very long…just not as many ops on as during the weekend. Yesterday I ran out of stations to work fairly quickly on both summits I activated… which rarely happens on weekends.
The number of s2s opportunities also drops Monday thru Thursday…on many of the summits I activate I don’t make a single s2s contact during the week days.
The exception to that rule is Friday…it’s always busy on Friday…huge pileups, many s2s opportunities usually…people playing hooky?
CW Pileups are always messy…but that is part of the fun I think…except for the times when that one station keeps calling and calling me when I have clearly answered someone else.
But hey…if it were easy everyone would be doing it!
The XYL probably requesting more attention. 