So, what is the go with this situation? I have witnessed someone who worked a DX station while he was on (solo) DXpedition, and a few minutes later he worked the same station using his home call.
I have been on DXpedition working countries I had not worked before, and wished I could log them using my home call, but didn't as I believed it was wrong. It doesn't matter now, as there is worked pretty well everything that has been on in the past few years, so the temptation is no longer there.
A topic was discussed here a few months ago about operating from someone else's station using your own call and claiming the credit. This did not seem to infringe any legal requirements. I have worked stations on 160 m whom, I believe were using remote receivers, as the response was delayed several seconds.
Back to the topic; I have yet to work Norfolk I on 10 m, yet I was operating from Norfolk I on 10 m, working VK3s. Could I have remotely operated my home station via the Internet, from Norfolk I, and worked one of the guys with whom I was on DXpedition and claimed the credit?
73,
Luke VK3HJ

I have a row of 6 x 4" card file boxes with my sorted confirmed cards.
And I have a big stack of unprocessed bureau cards I must get around to sorting and replying to eventually.
If there is an award I am working towards, I use yet another card file box to sort the cards required.
Living in a shoebox, I do wish that everybody would use LotW, but I cannot bring myself to throw cards away. To reduce the flood of incoming cards, I now tend to keep my activity down to 2-3000 QSO each year, and just hide in the aether and pick the calls I want. Last week I made over 4,500 Q's from Norfolk I, so that's my fill of pileups until next year's expedition!
One idea I did see was for all the cards received to be scanned using a photo scanner, and for them to be displayed on an electronic photo display thingy, in a slideshow format.
Some folks just love paper QSLs so what do they do with them all?
73,
Luke VK3HJ

DPRK fires off missiles from time to time. That's nothing new.
Asia is easy to work from here, and I'd love to see an activation of P5 for an ATNO.
But I can't help but wonder how far the goodwill of amateur radio could penetrate the hermit kingdom, with the current attitude of its leadership.
How this contrasts with the support given by HM Sultan Qaboos bin Said for the Royal Omani Amateur Radio Society, since its establishment in the 1970s.
Respected Marshall Kim Young Un really needs to get out more, and see that the rest of the world is not as bad as his advisers insist it is. Until the people of DPRK can enjoy the freedoms the rest of us take for granted, I cannot see how amateur radio could be permitted there.
I'm not holding my breath on this one.
73,
Luke VK3HJ

A few years ago I read "The Complete DXer", not sure of the edition, but certainly recall Bob's comments on tail-ending, with caveats, as mentioned above. The technique is to be used with caution. Badly done, it will just p*ss off the DX station.
On DXpedition, I like to listen for the station I have just responded to complete his report. A station calling, before I sign, and indicate I am ready for the next one will be ignored. If it is a weak-ish station, I may note his call, and give him a call after I sign and listen again.
What I tended to do on the higher bands was to tease the pileup into two bunches, work one then the other, and from time to time spend a bit of time in the gap in the middle, where the smarter smaller stations were calling. This worked best when the callers couldn't hear each other.
At home the super Panadaptor display in PowerSDR certainly helps my "brain surgery" technique when chasing the DX. With my QRP DXCC chase, I am back to flipping back and forth between FT-817 VFOs, but I seem to be getting the hang of that too!
I've had many DX ragchew QSO on 100 W, when band conditions are good. It's likely to be several months before I work an ATNO, so chatting and QRP keep the radioactivity going.
Regarding putting oneself at the sharp end, I am finding it to be quite enjoyable to spice up my DX experience by going to a nice island DXCC entity each year. I have done it the past five years running, and I feel it has become a habit now!
73,
VK3HJ (op: VK9LA, YJ0VK x 3, VK9NT)

One of the best ways to improve one's pileup skills is to spend time regularly at the sharp end of the pileup.
All of the above methods mentioned are observed, and different methods work better in different circumstances.
One of the most annoying things, that slows the rate down terribly, is when many callers find your listening frequency and all zero beat on it! For a while, one can pick the calls as the density increases, then it gets to the point where it becomes a constant tone.
The callers who make one call in the clear get in the log before all those who think they are smart and dead beat on your last QSO.
At home, I usually offset 100 Hz or so from the lump of dead beats and more often than not make it.
And yes, all the power you have AND smart operating gets you in and out quickly, for someone else to have a go.
I have been working on QRP DXCC recently, while waiting for something new, and am still surprised when my little FT-817's full five watts is heard on the other side of the world. That is an exercise in judgement and timing. On 87 countries now, so should tick that one off soon.
73,
Luke VK3HJ

Nice to work Alex on 20 m and 17 m.
First time I've worked Galapagos in a few years.
Alex worked hard with me to get HD2A on 160 m last month.
Last week, I worked him a number of times from Norfolk I., when he was HC2AO.
Now it's an advantage in being greeted by name when I call!
Looking forward to a few new bands for Galapagos.
Good luck,
Luke VK3HJ

You should see LotW up fairly quickly after the exped. Our QSL manager Allan will upload as soon as account set up.
We will record some pileup clips for you to get an idea of what we hear here "at The Sharp End"! I can assure you it is quite challenging and entertaining. Much bigger piles than we saw on Vanuatu.
I had better get some sleep now as I am doing the dog watch again, 30 and maybe 40m.
High bands are great, so making the most of the good conditions.
Hear you in the (CW) piles!
73 Luke VK3HJ, VK9NT

I look forward to hearing you Tom. It's not often we hear Haiti in VK.
The Caribbean is not particularly difficult to work from here, but quite often, the ops focus on Northern Hemisphere and forget the South.
40 or 30 m your sunrise would be easiest, but any band will be welcome here.
See you on CW in July!
73,
Luke VK3HJ

Despite their apparent EU focus, the EU pileups are still ridiculous. They don't seem to have made any impact on the pileups even this far along in the expedition. Lots of complaints on cluster.
Oh well. I hope the guys are having a nice time on Tokelau.
73,
Luke VK3HJ
Only 1 week till QRV VK9NT

Who is Dennis Rodman?

Got them on 10 m today around midday, firstly SSB, then CW. This evening, both QSO in ClubLog.
That's the last band/mode needed for Tokelau.
Now I can ignore the pileups, and let them work all the "EU" they like!
You can probably expect them to look outside EU later in the expedition. They are there for another week, so don't stress!
Good luck,
Luke VK3HJ

It's a bit of a "non-announcement" really. No time frame given. It has been stated that ALL the Most Wanted entities have groups working on activating them.
However, it is good to know that a very capable group as the Intrepid Team are working on it. We can be sure of a first class activation, and give all serious DXers a good chance to work them.
Any speculation on when it will happen is a bit pointless. As life goes, it will happen when the time is right.
I hope I live long enough!
73,
Luke VK3HJ

I'm finding these guys quite inaccessible.
The only time I am able to be on the radio and hearing them they are calling for Europe. I'm quite amazed at the extent of the pileups, given that Dick ZK3T gave it a good go a few months ago. I found him relatively easy to work 160 - 15 m. This evening the ZK3N CW pile was 25 kHz wide on 17 m!
The only band I need ZK3 on is 10 m, and the only mode needed is phone, so a 10 m SSB QSO would be my last tick in the box.
73 es GL!
Luke VK3HJ

This is my experience too. The number of times I've been working a nice steady pile, and suddenly all these callers appear like a swarm of flies. When some of the louder callers are called, they don't respond. On occasion, I've found it particularly irritating when on 160 m with short windows of opportunity to have these blind callers waste your time, and genuine callers lose the chance to make a QSO.
If a station I'm working asks if I'd like to be spotted, I usually ask them not to!
It might be a useful policy to dig out the weaker stations and ignore the louder ones. The serial pests need to be told off, but if they can't hear you anyway, this may be a waste of time too!
Another way to thin out the callers is to spend some time chatting with each station. That way the annoying ones who just want a "5nn" QSO lose interest and go away.
Ultimately, it is up to the operator at the sharp end to manage the pile, but it takes steely resolve, discipline and endurance. It starts to sound more like a fight than fun!
73,
Luke VK3HJ

Yes, the "-@" indicates the spot originates from a user on DX Summit.
Post spots using another cluster in the network if you don't like "-@"!
Spots I post from HRD Logbook's cluster window appear without the appendage.
I find it easier to spot from my Logbook's cluster application, but I usually have DX Summit open in a browser window. I like the very useful "Search" facility in DX Summit.
73,
Luke VK3HJ