How to Break (and Run) a Pileup
What two WRTC-level ham radio contesters want everyone to know about getting through faster
Back in January, Randy Thompson K5ZD took part in the World Wide Award event, operating under the call sign N1W. The event wasn’t a contest — more of a month-long activity challenge built around real-time QSO tracking and daily chasing of special event stations. But with a global scoreboard and more than 70 activators drawing attention, the pileups were huge.
By the end of the month, Randy had logged over 6,000 contacts. The volume was impressive — and if you're curious, take a look at hamaward.cloud/wwa. But that’s not why we’re here. The event surfaced something else: the behavior of operators — both good and bad. Day after day, band after band, Randy watched some operators break through instantly while others, despite loud signals, struggled.
That’s what sparked the conversation in one of our Contest Crew sessions.
Randy and Chris Hurlbut KL9A have both competed at the World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC.) Chris has stood on the podium for gold. They know what they’re talking about. And they didn’t hold back. What follows is a straight-up breakdown of what actually works in a pileup — whether it’s the WWA, a major contest, a rare DXpedition, or a late shift POTA activation.
“KR2Q. Five watts. QRP. First call, every time. From anywhere.”
Call off Frequency
There’s one mistake that kills more pileups than anything else: zero beating.
“When I’m running CW, I’m listening up,” Randy said. “Fifty to a hundred Hz high is where I actually copy people. But most callers land dead on frequency — and it turns into a blur.”
Same thing on SSB. It’s not just frequency — it’s timing.
“People call at the same moment, same tone, same rhythm,” Chris said. “You’re not copying a signal. You’re copying a wall.”
He pointed to one operator who never had that problem.
“KR2Q. Five watts. QRP. But always off frequency. Always timed just right. Never zero beat. First call, every time. From anywhere.”
Lesson: don’t call where everyone else is calling.
Timing is Everything
“Being first to call is overrated,” Chris said. “Everyone jumps in the second the DX stops. It's just noise.”
The better operators? They wait. Not long. Just enough for the overlap to settle.
“There’s a rhythm to every pileup,” Randy said. “Once you hear it, you find the gap. Call right after that first wave. And if you’re off frequency too — you’re in.”
You can practice this. Most don’t.
“The loudest guys are usually the worst. I already got their call — but now I’m stuck waiting for them to send it again.”
One Call is Enough
Another trap: repetition.
“The loudest guys are the worst,” Randy said. “They’ll send their call, I’ve already got it — and then they send it again. Sometimes a third time.”
That forces the op to wait before responding. Rate drops. Frustration builds.
“If you don’t hear your call come back, fine — send it again,” he said. “But give it a second. You might’ve made it in. You just didn’t know it yet.”
Know Your Call When You Hear It
Sounds obvious. It’s not.
“I’ll reply with someone’s call — clean copy — and they just keep calling,” Randy said. “Or they assume it’s wrong and send it two more times. That breaks the rhythm.”
“You’ve got to know what your call sounds like in a mess,” he added. “Learn to hear it through the noise.”
And if the call was wrong?
“Send your call once, clean. Then the exchange,” Chris said. “Don’t wait. Don’t drag it out. I’m already logging the next guy. You’ve got maybe two seconds to fix it.”
Audio Quality Matters
On SSB, audio is everything.
“Good audio matters,” Randy said. “Not fancy. Not overdone. Just clean.”
Record it. Play it back. Adjust until it punches through without distortion or noise.
Chris put it simply: “The best audio is the one that gets logged the fastest.”
The Hardest Part
Pileup management isn’t just about speed. It’s about staying in control.
“There are times I’ve nearly got a call figured out — four out of six letters — and someone else jumps in, loud, and wipes it out,” Randy said. “And they weren’t even close to being next.”
That’s why restraint matters just as much as timing. Knowing when not to call is underrated.
“It’s like kindergarten,” Chris said. “Take your turn.”
And after nearly 6,000 QSOs and more than a few observations, Randy admitted the pileup mayhem had taken its toll.
Chris smiled. “Randy, this has been a therapy session for you, hasn’t it?”
Randy didn’t disagree.
Tips That Actually Work
The gear helps. But the best operators succeed because they know how to listen, when to transmit, and how to make it easy for the person on the other end.
“There’s a reason some guys always make it in,” Randy said. “It’s not luck. They just know how to operate.”
Key Takeaways
Don’t zero beat. Be slightly off frequency — you’ll stand out.
Send your call once. If you’re not sure it was copied, pause, then try again.
Recognize your own call. Don’t assume it was wrong. Listen first.
Use clean audio. Especially on SSB. Clarity wins.
Respect the flow. Don’t over-call. Don’t QRM someone being worked.
Want more from the Contest Crew? Check out these episodes.
This is great. Thanks for the write up. I’m not the biggest station, but have started calling off frequency just a bit and it does work. The timing thing is so important, not need to beat the big guns when they are shooting at each other. Just sneak in through the side window lol. W4BRI
Pileups are getting worse too. AD4EB was running in the GA QSO Party this weekend mobile. the pileups were insane. People just called and called and called and called. He is mobile so he is down from the pile. I am sure it was frustrating for both sides. He called me back a couple of times and I thought he called me but I was not sure so I waited and sure enough he was giving me a report. Every one has to be 1st.
For DX working split you need to call where the station is listening. A bandscope makes this much easier. VP2VI had a huge pileup on 40m last night of both EU and NA stations. He was sending up. Not many packet spots. Once I found the last station he worked I was in the log quickly. He was much higher than I expected. No use calling 1 up when he is listening 3 up.