Do you know what the proper response is if you are tuning and hear someone ask "is this frequency in use?" in a contest? The answer is CQ Contest CQ Contest - now its in use. Thanks for asking.
Many contesters listen briefly to a quiet hole and if they hear no exchange or CQ going on over a 15 second period, they will just drop in a CQ to see who speaks up if anyone. Many times an SO2R activity or a Multi that is off chasing a mult will then suddenly start CQing again. Which brings up the question, how long is dead air to satisfy the definition of "in use"?
On 80M SSB, I ALWAYS ask is this frequency in use like 5 times before CQing. And even still, I get some yahoo telling me that they are on this frequency and you f'n contesters need to move or go away. In their minds, hanging out on the same frequency every night sometimes not having anyone speak or even be near enough to the radio to say - yes this frequency is in use - is "using the frequency". What is the definition of "in use" anyway? 6 guys all drinking beer listening to the same static and occasionally saying something is not "in use" in my world. Even if they say it is. A few times, I have asked and some said fairly quickly, yes its in use. I know I listened for at least 15 secs and heard nothing. So I stick around and listen to static for 60 secs. Then say - sure doesn't sound in use. If you are using it, use it, or I will. That gets them talking and swearing for who knows how long.
Last weekend, I was CQing on 14346.5 late in the afternoon. I had been there about an hour running EU and SA. Someone came on and asked if I would mind them announcing the net was about to start and they would start it down 5khz. I said sure, and paused for 20 - 30 secs for them. Went back to my business. The next thing I know they are calling the net on my frequency and a few of the "boys" start screaming at me to move, leave, I am interfering with a net, they are going to report me to the FCC, blah blah, blah. I just worked guys over them. That always pisses them off. Kept a good run going for another half hour as I periodically listened to them ridicule me and try desperately to hold their net. Which was tough to do over my 4/4 with 1.5kw going. But I had a 100+ rate going and I wasn't leaving. These guys just do NOT get the fact that the frequency is not theirs just because for the last 1000 days they have met on that frequency at that time.
Last contest joke - how do you know you have a terrible run frequency? Answer, when you come back after a bathroom break and no one is CQing on it.
Ed N1UR