Ed
Your enquiring mind will carry you through. I've been contesting for more
than 35 years and still find new things to learn. BTW after 35 years I'm
still a relative newcomer.
I remember facing the same frustration and over the exact same issue, back
in the sixties. I was floored by cut number exchanges just as you've been.
It took a while and a few enquiries to get to the bottom of the matter.
N as a cut for 9 is pretty much universal. Just about everyone sends 5NN
not 599
T as a cut for zero is also very widely used. The next most common is A for
1 but far fewer folks use that. Even less frequently used is E for 5. The
remaining cut numbers are rarely used and will likely cause serious
confusion even among experienced contesters. If you learn N, T & A you will
have 99.99% of exchanges well in hand.
Maybe I'm mistaken but I thought you were able to enter received cuts
directly into Writelog and have them translated there. Or maybe that's a
feature that was once there but has disappeared? I've always done cut
number translation in my head so that's not a feature I've relied on.
Cut numbers are frustrating at first but have significant benefits. In a
serial numbered exchange the use of cuts for 9 & 0 can easily reduce
exchange time by 10%. In a 48 hour contest that can free up almost 5 hours
in which to make more contacts!
Welcome to contesting Ed but be careful, you might get hooked!
73
Bob
Bob Henderson, 5B4AGN, P3F
Giolou, Pafos, Cyprus
Email: bob@cytanet.com.cy
http://www.5b4agn.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "M. Edward Wilborne III" <wilborne@mew3.com>
Cc: <writelog@contesting.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 11:06 PM
Subject: Re: [WriteLog] Cut numbers
> Personally, I have no problem learning new things and enjoy that aspect of
> the hobby. However, until you know what "cut numbers" are, which is
itself
> jargon for CW abbreviation, contesting is difficult when you're expecting
a
> number and get letters in their place. And having just got started in
> contesting, and read all of the rules about whatever contest I've been
> doing, its surprising when you can't figure out why the exchange isn't
what
> is documented in the rules, which was one of my points earlier. I didn't
> even realize what cut numbers were until the ARCI contest when I finally
got
> to the point I started searching the Internet for possible meanings, and
> then I didn't even know they were called cut numbers until this message
> thread today.
>
> It would be cool if you could enter the cut number into the numeric field
of
> WriteLog and have it automatically translated to the numeric equivalent.
If
> WriteLog did this, then when I entered 15T3 into it, I would have
instantly
> known that 15T3 is synonymous with 1503.
>
> In this particular case I forget what I actually entered as the number in
my
> log, since it wouldn't take letters, and I'm sure at this point, I have
the
> wrong thing there, and I'm not sure I can ever find it again. Plus, I
> didn't want to tie up the contest operator by asking "what do you mean
> 15T3?"... Now that I think of it, I think I just deleted the QSO as
> invalid.
>
> While we're on the subject of cut numbers, why don't we (i.e. ham
hobbyists)
> start some new shortcuts for 2, 3 and 4, like I, S, and H ??? If
you're
> expecting a number and get a letter, its easily translated, once you know
> the translation.
>
> The other point I was making is, if you're a newcomer in the contest
arena,
> and are trying to "get involved" and all of a sudden you don't understand
> what is going on, i.e. cut numbers, and they aren't documented in the
> contest rules, it can be discouraging. I didn't say anything about
becoming
> an instant expert on it. I'm just trying to have fun. But not even
> understanding the simplest exchange, i.e. why does my number have letters
in
> it, is discouraging, and frustrating. Fortunately, with the ARCI contest,
> and this list, I have finally learned what has been going on in my CW
> exchanges for the past 5 months.
>
> About time I got it!
>
> Thanks & 73
> Ed - AD4AX
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bob Henderson" <bob@cytanet.com.cy>
> To: "M. Edward Wilborne III" <wilborne@mew3.com>
> Cc: <writelog@contesting.com>
> Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 6:07 PM
> Subject: Re: [WriteLog] Cut numbers
>
>
> > I'll be blunt!
> >
> > Why do folks think ham radio should be so shallow that they can walk
> through
> > the door and be experts?
> >
> > Anything in life that provokes enduring fascinatation and interest, does
> so
> > because it can't be fully understood and mastered in five minutes.
> >
> > Cut numbers have been in common use in amateur and professional radio
for
> > more than fifty years and for good reason.
> >
> > Let's face it; if we understood everything about anything before we
> engaged
> > it, then it would likely become intensely boring almost immediately.
> >
> > Enjoy learning!
> >
> > Bob
> >
> > Bob Henderson, 5B4AGN, P3F
> > Giolou, Pafos, Cyprus
> > Email: bob@cytanet.com.cy
> > http://www.5b4agn.net
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "M. Edward Wilborne III" <wilborne@mew3.com>
> > Cc: <writelog@contesting.com>
> > Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 8:45 PM
> > Subject: Re: [WriteLog] Cut numbers
> >
> >
> > > Well someone replied to me saying that using "A" for "1" which is
> > evidently
> > > a standard shortcut (as seen below) is probably a bad idea...:
> > >
> > > http://www.qsl.net/w3df/cwabbrev.html
> > >
> > > I think they're all bad ideas...
> > >
> > > Imagine my surprise after starting contesting for the very first time
> and
> > > after 4 or 5 contests finally learning that T was zero?
> > >
> > > Quite frustrating. No where in any of the "contesting rules" did it
say
> > > "cut numbers" may be used for serial numbers, or signal reports. I
> > suspect
> > > if it did, it should also define what they are.
> > >
> > > CW shortcuts are fine for people who've been doing it all their life,
> but
> > it
> > > is discouraging to newcomers when they can't make heads or tales out
of
> > the
> > > serial number they just received for example, 15T3. You send a "?"
and
> > get
> > > back 15T3 again. I guess I should read that "contesting for dummies"
> > > website/book. ;)
> > >
> > > On the other hand, if you get an "A" from me in your serial number, or
> > other
> > > numeric exchange, assume its a "1" (see the link above).
> > >
> > > 73 - Ed - AD4AX
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "M. Edward Wilborne III" <wilborne@mew3.com>
> > > Cc: <writelog@contesting.com>
> > > Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 1:46 PM
> > > Subject: Re: [WriteLog] Cut numbers
> > >
> > >
> > > > I read somewhere on a random Internet page you can use the letter
"A"
> > for
> > > > 1... does anyone do that? (which could come in handy with my FISTS
> > number
> > > > of 11144).
> > > >
> > > > Thanks & 73!
> > > >
> > > > Ed - AD4AX
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: "Pawel SP7PS" <pawel@sp7ps.pl>
> > > > To: "Don Melcher" <don@hfradio.com>
> > > > Cc: <writelog@contesting.com>
> > > > Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 1:35 PM
> > > > Subject: Re: [WriteLog] Cut numbers
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > Hi Don,
> > > > > Just make and put the following topic into the "writelog.ini"
file:
> > > > >
> > > > > [Cut-Numbers]
> > > > > 0=t
> > > > > 1=1
> > > > > 2=2
> > > > > 3=3
> > > > > 4=4
> > > > > 5=5
> > > > > 6=6
> > > > > 7=7
> > > > > 8=8
> > > > > 9=n
> > > > >
> > > > > 73's
> > > > > Pawel, SP7PS
> > > > > http://sp7ps.pl
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > "Don Melcher" wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > The help file is rather vague on sending cut numbers. Where and
> what
> > > > > > exactly goes into the .ini file?
> > > > > > Tnx
> > > > > > Don
> > > > > > W6CZ
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > WriteLog mailing list
> > > > > WriteLog@contesting.com
> > > > > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/writelog
> > > > > WriteLog on the web: http://www.writelog.com/
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > WriteLog mailing list
> > > WriteLog@contesting.com
> > > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/writelog
> > > WriteLog on the web: http://www.writelog.com/
> > >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > WriteLog mailing list
> > WriteLog@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/writelog
> > WriteLog on the web: http://www.writelog.com/
> >
>
>
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>
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