I have had the same problem many times.  You are finding the same thing as I 
am.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2011 7:15 PM
Subject: New Ham Creed?


>I think I discovered a new ham's creed listening to a big group of W5 =
> stations this week that I wanted to run by you just for fun.  From =
> Colorado, I copy no fewer than a dozen, normally quite large, with big =
> signals, of W5 stations from 36 30 up to almost 4.0 MHz any given night =
> of the week.  Few of them are less than S9 and most are 20 over S9 and =
> occasionally, some are 40 over S9 but that doesn't happen often on my S =
> meter even with local Denver Stations.  I always enjoy listening to =
> these open round tables because often, during the joking and =
> reminiscing, I learn a lot about DX activity, amplifiers, and especially =
> antennas.  Before I tell you what I learned must be a new ham creed, let =
> me give you an example.  I was told by my Elmer 46 years ago, or longer, =
> that when working CW, if you called CQ at 30 WPM, or regardless of how =
> fast, if the calling station is running even 5 words per minute, you =
> drop your speed to match his.  For example, I was just below 3600 the =
> other night and I called CQ at about 25 WPM.  A W7 3 letter call, which =
> normally would mean someone older than I and more experienced, called me =
> at not much more than 5 Words Per Minute.  So, as I have for decades, I =
> dropped to his speed and replied.  We talked for about 45 minutes at =
> that speed.  come to find out, he was in his sixties and retired and had =
> just gotten his first ticket 3 years ago.  He was trying to get his =
> speed up.  thus the slow 5 WPM.  Once he upgraded, he applied for this 1 =
> by 3 callsign and got it.  Yes, I enjoy CW even at 5 WPM and sometimes =
> lower if the guy is really green.  After my brother in law, for example, =
> passed his novice, I moved to western Colorado to be an assistant pastor =
> in a small town church.  the town was about 800 people in population and =
> the church had about 60 people.  I had weekly schedules with my brother =
> in law and until he got his phone license, we each had a list a mile =
> long from our wives, who are sisters, for which they wanted questions =
> answered.  Once he got his phone license, we began weekly sideband =
> schedules but guess who did all the talking?  Yep, the two sisters.  =
> Anyhow, Bob, my brother in law, was so nervous in a crowded 40 meter =
> novice band that I had to literally send 2 and 3 WPM for him to get =
> everything I was saying.  In the clear, of course, he probably could =
> have done better than 5 WPM because he'd passed the test, but I didn't =
> mind sending 2 words per minute.  After all, I'd done it for others and =
> dozens of times over the years.  So, I'm just explaining that this was =
> how I was taught.  furthermore, if you heard someone splattering up and =
> down the band on sideband, you politely broke in, told him about it, and =
> generally the man thanked you for letting him know and made adjustments =
> to fix the problem.  Don't ever do that now in today's ham world unless =
> you know the person as well as your own kin.  I'm not joking.  So, now =
> to the new ham's creed.
>
> I was listening to a group, I believe this was on 3930 but I listen to =
> so many round tables when tuning the bands, some on a nightly bases, it =
> could have been elsewhere on the band.  Anyhow, a half a dozen guys were =
> 20 to 30 over.  big signals on my gage because on 80 meters, I have a =
> steady S9 line noise so anything under 5 over S9, I can't copy well.  =
> these boys were loud, in other words, and often such stations are =
> running pretty big amplifiers which put out a lot more than the legal =
> limit, if you get my meaning, than the 1500 watts we are allowed.  If a =
> signal is clean, I could care less how much power he is running but I'm =
> funny about that than , no, I have never run more than about 1.2 KW =
> output with the modified SB220 I had years ago.  For my first 300 DX CC =
> countries, I had an amp that only put out 700 watts.  Now I run 500 =
> watts.  So, as I was saying, or suggesting, these W5 big round tables, =
> everybody normally running vox so that's why I call them open round =
> tables, are generally pretty friendly to new comers but you have to be =
> loud or they forget you are there and this brings me to what I heard one =
> of the big signals say just this week to another ham on his frequency.  =
> That wasn't a typo.  These guys have often commanded a particular =
> frequency for literally decades and they ain't going to move for =
> anybody.  I've seen them literally move off frequency, tell the station =
> too close to their quiet channel to move, and if he does?  They all move =
> down on top of him and talk as if he isn't there.  Yes, the offending =
> station, who didn't know he was intruding on to someone private =
> frequency, ends up moving just to get away from them.  When he does, the =
> original group just goes back to their private channel once again.  they =
> generally require at least 3 KHz above and below them to consider their =
> channel to be quiet and called a clear channel.  I've also seen traffic =
> nets start up, the net control to be breaking in and asking them to move =
> for 30 minutes while they conduct their net, and most of the time, the =
> big guns refuse to me because they were there first.
>
> A guy would must have been just over S9, and was also a W5, but not =
> running his amplifier and was a new comer to this group, got the big =
> guns riled up a little because they claimed they could not hear him well =
> due to his pour signal strength.  He was 20 to 30 DB weaker but as I =
> said, if I could hear him, he had to be above S9 but not much more than =
> that.  Anyhow, they got to ragging on him because he wouldn't turn on =
> his amp, if he even had one, which he claimed he did, but he said, if =
> you are copying me now, what do I need all that extra power for.  Well, =
> shoot, the old boy does have a point because, if I'm not mistaken, the =
> FCC rules and regs do say to use the least amount of power necessary to =
> maintain communications.  Nobody I know, in all my hears as a ham, ever =
> has practice that rule and it is sort of a silly one anyhow.  Because, =
> unless you are running 30 or 40 or 50 KW, whose going to be able to tell =
> how much power you are putting out.  Even the FCC doesn't bother with =
> that rule unless someone is grossly misusing it and causing loads of =
> interference but I digress.  So, the low power guy, weaker station, and =
> the big guns kept arguing that he should crank up the power because, =
> these guys, running 2 holer amps, with 3 and 4 K output, 100 to 180 foot =
> towers, and inverted vees hanging from the tops of their towers, claimed =
> they couldn't copy this weaker guy better.  I'm using a G5RV at 35 feet =
> with an S9 noise level and I'm copying every freaking word the guy says. =
> Sure, he was weaker, way weaker, than the big boys, but the old guy, as =
> I said, had a point.  Plus, I thought it was sort of funny he was =
> pissing off the big boys with his weaker signal.  I believe he was doing =
> it on purpose, not turning on his amp, because he was trying to prove =
> that these guys only like talking to new people if they have big =
> signals.  You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out the old =
> boy, the weaker station, was yanking their chain just a might.  Well, =
> here is what a big gun on that frequency said to the weaker station.  He =
> finally gave his call, something often forgotten in these larger round =
> tables that are open ended, and he told the little station the =
> following.  "It is true," he said, "one does not need to be the owner of =
> an amplifier.  If, on the other hand, you break in to talk to a bunch of =
> guys, all running big amps, and putting out big signals, it is easier to =
> communicate with the larger group, with bigger signals, if you also have =
> a loud signal."  that's what he said.  Does he have a point?  Of course =
> but the weaker guy still got his point across.  This is one reason why I =
> would never break into a big loud group like I have described.  You will =
> soon discover they have forgotten you are even there.
>
> Phil.
> K0NX