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Kalashi Nose, KH6IJ/l
J0 Cam bridge Street
Belmont, Mass. 02J 79
On
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Ln
the
Use
Phonetics
Pileups
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If you are among these fortunate enough
to have a call sign like W6AA, you won't be
interested in the rest of this article, but if
you have one like WD2BJB, you may be
interested to know what the DX'er on the
other end of a DX contest pileup thinks of
you if you say "Whiskey, David, the number
two, 'D' as in Denmark, 'J' as in Japan, and
'B' as in Boston."
Some time in the nostalgic past when all
call signs began with a "W" or with no prefix
at all, it was an easy matter to decipher call
signs. Today, with so many prefixes to
choose from, we seem to have gone overboard
in our phonetic frenzy to get call signs
across.
Phonetics are to clarify, not to confuse,
yet frequently we are apt to accomplish the
opposite by employing certain techniques.
In a hot contest or pileup, the object is to
get as much information across in a short
time as possible. Frequently in a contest, the
contact is over while a slow caller is blissfully
repeating his phonetics.
There are two things wrong with "Whiskey
David, the Number two, Denmark,
Japan. Boston." For one thing there are too
many bits of information to remember, and
secondly, remembering the proper order
puts one more burden on the DX station.
Let's put yourself on the receiving end of
a pileup. The important part is "DJB," the
rest can be filled in at leisure after the
contact has been established. What would
you do if you were a WB 2 and you heard the
DX station announce, "The WB2 what was
your cam" Immediately all WB2~s are compelled
to answer. However, "The station
with call like OJ B" immediately identifies
you unless there happens to be a BJ D, BGD,
BJB, or some other phonetically similar call,
a rare coincidence. If you go back in the face
of such positive identification, you would be
ostracized.
The important thing is to get at least two
letters of your suffix across. If the DX
station has any savvy at all, he will pry the
rest of the information from you at his
leisure. When the DX asks for a fill, give him
only the information he wants. He asks for a
fill because of Q RM and not much else.
How effective is "Denmark, Japan, Baston?"
After about 3000 contacts, the DX'er
is a pretty weary fellow. After hearing
"Denmark, Japan, Boston" he is liable to
mutter to himself. "Now was that Japan.
Boston, Denmark or Boston, Denmark,
Japan?" By using phonetics you give him the
extra task of trying to remember which
word came before which. The order may be
trivial to you, since you have practiced it
many times, but the DX operator has heard
that combination for the first time and he
has to remember the order.
Just plain "WD2BJD" is apt to be more
effective because it is easier to remember for
the DX'er. He might have gotten it as
"WB2BGB" but what does it matter? You've
nailed him and can now correct him at your
leisure. Better still you should say
"WD2BJD, Baker John Dog" and not the
reverse order, WD2 Baker John, Dog,
WD2BJD. The worst of course is "William
Dog, the number two, Baker, John, Dog."
The DX'er now has to remember a Baker,
two dogs, a John, a William and a two
floating around some place and must place
them in proper sequence. No wonder he
mutters to himself.
Stick to plain WD2BJ D, no phonetics
until asked for. If the DX'er goes back to
only those who give phonetics, he probably
won't be a winner for his country because he
is taking too much time per contact.
Going to the other extreme, ] have heard
something like "DJB, DJB, DJB" given with
no prefix - "no nothing." This is especially
pathetic to hear when he is the only one left
calling after everybody has gone to the
listening cycle. Giving the phonetics of the
DX station is downright insulting. It is
tantamount to telling the DX he doesn't
know his own call.
"What's your number again?" may not be
correct grammatically, but it is more effective
than "I would like to have you repeat
your number." Note "what is" (he wants
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