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DO's & DO NOT's There are many rules in our hobby, that make the use and get on with each other very important. Before I go on, there is only one set of rules,"yes" one set of rules and standard for all stations. I have found in the short time I have been in the hobby, there are more disagreements caused by bad manners and hypocrisy than any other thing. I will just put down a few of the rules that I keep to. This will ensure there is no hypocrisy on my part.
1/ Never get into an argument as this will only reflect badly upon yourself, even if your are right.
Why/ There are one or two station that act as policmen in the hobby. They flourish on an argument, You will find that such argument will be embellished by these stations. The good stations will let you know if you are going wrong, in a friendly manner
2/Do not use foul language, or act in an aggressive manner

3/Before TX listen for a few minutes
Why/ Because you could be calling over a station, waiting for a reply to a CQ. Once again there are one or two station that will not wait. I have found when calling some will send morse as soon as you stop calling, with the intent of stopping you hearing the RX
4/Look at the band plan and make sure you are TX in the right part of the band.
Why/If you call CQ on the calling frequency, make sure it is the right calling frequency for the stations you are looking for. 50.150 in the EU. 50.110 out of the EU, 110 is not for local calling and the EU is local calling.
5/If you have many station in your area, as I do. Try to stay a good distance from them
Why/ Once again I have one or two local stations that go out of there way, to move as close as they can, there is lots of room just move. Just make allowances for bad manner, and in some cases childish behavour.
6/If you hear a station calling on 110, just list for a minute, they might be hearing something you do not.
Why/I think we all agree that no one station can hear everthing at once. I have heard the argument that by calling you could miss But if a station hears DX and is calling, just because you cannot hear it, it does not mean there is not DX there. This does not give you the right to put up a carrier or be rude. If the station that act in this way were to hear DX then someone acted as they do, they would go ape. I can only say it is childish to jam or make rude comments. How it should be done
1/ Your call
2/ Ask could you tell me what you can hear
3/ If they cannot hear anything. Ask could you Please QSY as I think there might be some weak DX about
4/ Thank you
I will bet you get a good responce, much better that push off or a carrier.
7/ If you make a contact on a calling frequency. Please QSY
Why/ you might be working DX, but who is to say there are not other DX stations calling on 110 or 150. You could be working 4X4, but JY is also there.
8/When work a pile up. Give Call, Report, and Loc
Why/I must say this is one thing I am guilty of, also giving my name. There are one or two local stations that preach this rule. But so often, they forget it when in qso. I hold my hands up to being guilty.
9/When calling in a pile up call once, then listen. Once again a few local preach the rule, but seem to forget it, when thing get hot. Try and listen to the rhythm of the DX and is he calling the first station to call or the last. Never call over a QSO. Once again I know stations that do this.
10/I have mentioned 50.110 and calling, Please do not call on 110 just for the fun of it. Think is there going to be DX about. use 50.105 or 50.115
Why/ As this is a sensitive area, do not go out of you way to upset stations. But this is a two way street, if a station does call, have some manners. Do not go and put silly comments on the packet system. Do not try to gang up on the station, and drive them off the band. Act in a way you would like to be treated.

That is the ten rules I try to keep to, in a pile up I do forget, I give my name and call more than once. I try to treat every body with good manners. I do not get involved in stations arguments, I judge stations by how I have found them, not by what others say. I find it rather sad that any station can listen to another station work, find they are doing nothing wrong, But listen to others. It is sad they cannot think for themselves.

There is a code of practice, that says you should never complain when a station is acting in an anti social way. "I say why not". What is the answer to such stations, do we let them do what they want. If you are doing wrong you should be told you are wrong. It really get up my nose when a station is in the wrong, and other stations come to their support. There is not one reason that says it is OK to jam or stop others useing their radios. If you want a station to do something, ask in a polite way, then you will get the right responce. This year I had a visit from the R.A. to test my station. The officer had done the test on bandwidth, went to 50.270 to do more tests and was stopped by a carrier being sent over him, by a local station. This action did not make him a happy man. Then some took it into their own minds to change the bandplan, and take it upon themselves to stop others useing parts of the band. This was followed by the same stations trying to stop stations useing another 30k of the band, so from April 98 to July 98, they had try to stop others useing 40k of the 6mtr band. Now jamming has gone on for years, some well known stations thinking it was a joke to jam some stations, but only a fool would sit back and do nothing. The RA reiceved many complaint about jamming, so action was taken. Alas part of the jamming had been done by stations in the UKSMG who should know better.Out of the 1,000 members in the group a half a dozon wanted the band to themselves. So when you here other saying you should not take action on stations that jam, or stop other useing any part of the band, you should say they are wrong. Wrong is Wrong whoever you are. Please if you tell others the rules then you must stick to the same rules. There are other pages that set out a code of practice, alas a few of these pages are put there by hypocrites, their comment are not because it is good practice, in the case of 50.110 they do not want you to use it, to leave it free for them. I have no time for such stations or hypocrites. Well known or not, I have no time for double standards.

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