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You didn't answer my question. In a big pileup on the same frequency when tons of stations are virtually zero-beat and louder than the DX, you claimed that you could pick him out with your 101MP while he's transmitting and they're still calling him. Is that what I understood by your comment?
Bob K7JQ
Dang you Bob, you want my secrets, ok Bob here is what I do:
I put my 101MP display on 5khz span, this gives a nice close up of the pile. most stations, especially point and clickers who use the cluster bandmap land exactly on the same freq as the DX. Most DX that generate huge piles do NOT listen exactly on their freq, they use their RX RIT/Clarifier. The reason they do not listen exactly on their freq is it is very hard to pick out a call from all the QRM.
Smart hams trying to break the pile use TX RIT/Clarifier to move their TX freq up a down a little. Usually 10-100hz altho many times 10-200hz. This allows the DX a better chance to pick out a call, similar to using 2khz split but on a much smaller freq deviation.
Even smarter hams look at a closeup of the pileup and can find out where the DX station is listening, IOW who is the Dx working, a smart ham can see exactly what freq that is. This of course only works if you can RX the station the DX is working. BY using the TX clarifier on the 101MP a smart ham can get exactly where the DX just listened, tail ending comes to mind.
If a smart ham can not hear/see the worked station then he tries to move to a clear spot and call the DX.
Now then, since there are many hams calling right on the DX freq it can be difficult to hear the DX. I use 300hz roof filter, 50-100hz DSP filter AND the VC tune control to cut out most of the garbage. I then take note of what the DX station signal looks like on display, In really big pileups like with the Africa stations it was very difficult to hear the DX, however if a smart ham can not hear the DX cuz of the pile, but can hear/see a worked station then the DX is still workable. Just jump on a ham giving a 5NN 4 report and call. ONE Call and listen, ONE call and listen. The chances are good the DX will call the smart ham, more than once usually allowing the smart ham to do a happy dance....
The 101MP has a red vertical line on the display showing exactly where the TX clarifier freq is located and you want that red line on the last worked station freq or nearby......
Stan K9IUQ
Well Stan, You ARE a smart ham

. I understand your technique, and see it's effectiveness. Of course, the 7300 can also go to a 5kHz panadapter span, has RIT and TX clarifiers, is adjustable down to a 50Hz DSP filter with excellent rejection to the sides, and has a red line showing the offset. SDR radios don't have roofing filters. So at that span you can see the last station he worked, and go to his frequency. But you answered my question...With all that being said, it is still "very difficult" to hear the DX station because of the pileup calling on his frequency. With your original comment, I thought that maybe the VC TUNE permitted you to clearly hear the DX while the pileup was transmitting right on his frequency.
However, our contesting goals are different. The meaning of "contest" is competition. Your competition is getting into pileups and eventually busting them. My competition is number of Q's, resulting in more points. Doing what you said is effective, but time consuming with all the adjustments necessary. I don't have time for all that...I'll just come back when he has no big pileup. I need my panadapter to scan the spectrum where all the action is, not just a 5kHz segment to work one station and fiddling with clarifier controls.
But yes, your 101MP (and a 7610) are "Gooder" radios all around

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Bob K7JQ