I am not privileged to receive the National Contest Journal so I am responding
only to what I have read in comments on an article by K6VVA.
You can prove you made radio contact by having the other station's call sign.
The only thing I can think of that is important in an exchange is multiplier
information, e.g. state, ARRL Section, Canadian province, county, CQ zone, ITU
zone, country (DXCC entity).
I have chosen to operate contests without computers and databases and I have no
time to try to keep up with the country prefix du jour. This is why I'd like
every contest exchange to include multiplier info. It seems to me anything else
is superfluous.
The ARRL Sweepstakes began 70 years ago with an exchange intended to simulate a
real traffic message preamble. It was modified and shortened several decades
later at contesters' requests. There's a historical connection between the SS
of 2003 and the SS of the 1930s, and that may be why it brings out casual
operators in droves.
The Sprints are fun because having the operator's name in the exchange reminds
us of something important.
Having something fun and interesting in the exchange is good. Mindlessly
sending 5nn is a waste of energy.
Something else I would find very interesting in an exchange would be the
operator's most recent former call sign. Or first call sign.
jim cain, ex-WA9AUM
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