Lids is an old CW term that meant a “bad operator”. Someone who was not following usual cw procedures, or sending poorly, or just generally not knowing what they are doing. I always thought that the term was a bit to pejorative. New hams who are just learning could fall into that category, so it was not a word I think I ever used.
But over the years I have heard people who probably do fit into that category. We have all heard them, many people on 75 meters at night. People who are essentially just broadcasting on the ham bands.
Then there are the people who cause deliberate QRM. I don’t know if this was an issue before my time or not (1971 – onward), but I have heard instances of this ever since I was a ham. I usually just ignore it, there isn’t anything I can do, and I am sure they get reported in one form or another. Unfortunately, enforcement of the rules is rare. Most of the time, unless it is ongoing for months on end, nothing ever happens.
Nothing brings out the Lids like a rare DXpedition. Many hams enjoy working rare dx, and these are usually publicized with operating frequencies, and spots on DX Clusters widely available. This gives the lids a great opportunity to display their anti-social tendencies. It is hard to understand, but the fact that they are essentially anonymous seems to bring out the sociopath in them. Similar to behavior we see online.
I have been listening to some of the pile-ups for 3Y0K on Bouvet Island this week. On CW or phone, there are usually several stations causing deliberate QRM. Tuning up, sending CW gibberish, etc. This likely doesn’t bother the big guns much, but the small 100 watt stations on a dipole or vertical usually cannot cope.
Then on top of those deliberately causing QRM, we have an amazing number of clueless hams who are calling on the DX stations frequency. This really surprises me, as it is no secret that almost all DXpeditions operate split, and they all also have a web site that explains their band plans and operating procedures.
Then there are the band police, who like the clueless employee who responds to a unintended email message to a large audience, by using “reply-all”, feels they have to constantly send or say UP UP UP. Then you get the name-callers, using profanity, even on cw, on top of that. For some reason, they don’t get that they just exponentially increase the QRM. Again, stations who have spent $20,000 to $60,000 on towers, yagis, and amps are less affected and probably have no problems getting through.
Even everyday pile-ups are a pain. I usually just avoid them, especially on phone. Many regard the practice of tail-ending as a good way to get thru a pile-up, though most of the time it is doubling with the dx station or the station he is calling.
I have always felt that things go much smoother if the dx station starts asking for callsigns by callsign district number. It cuts the number of stations calling by 90%. The DX station can work thru the pileup and everyone gets a shot. The big guns don’t like it and complain, because they don’t want to wait and want to impress everyone with their big, expensive, signal.
This is why I have resorted to using mostly FT8 to work DX. Though sometimes many stations are calling, Fox/Hound mode and other multi-stream modes help move things along. Sometimes there are too many stations calling, but if a dxpedition, often they last long enough that you will get tired of seeing their call after you work them. Also, deliberate QRM is less of an issue. Plus, I can copy stations that I can’t if they are on CW or phone. I have checked many times.
Though, another example of being clueless, is people who call the dx station on FT8, while the dx station is also transmitting. Guess what, you will never make the contact. This tells me that they are not even copying the dx station, because if they did, they would know when to transmit. But even so, you might get the hint when you are listening and seeing 40 other stations calling at the correct time. Some stations realize their mistake, but others will just keep going, wasting their time.
Unfortunately, pile-ups and Lids just seem like another one of those things we have to live with.
