Yes, I too am astounded when another station sends a "QSO B4" message. I
don't understand why anyone even has that message programmed in their
software. I'm even more astounded when they persist after I reply "NO". In
reverse, my reaction when someone calls me and my logger says it is a dupe,
is to be THANKFUL they called me again so it may clear a possible NIL in my
log, with its additional penalty. I'm happy to work dupes and do so without
breaking my run rhythm. I often make a note to check my log later to see if
I can figure out the problem, but it a total waste of everyone's time during
the contest to have any discussion about "QSO B4".
Now, there is at least one top operator who disagrees with this. He
believes he saves time by alerting the station calling that he is a dupe and
not having to send the exchange. I disagree because the vast majority of
the time the other station has something wrong in his log and the two of you
can never get it sorted out in less time than it would have taken to simply
work and carefully log each other as if it were a new QSO. Even in SS with
its longer exchange.
Thanks for the reminder.
73,
Ed - W0YK
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cq-contest-bounces@contesting.com
> [mailto:cq-contest-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Mark Beckwith
> Sent: Friday, 09 November, 2007 05:23
> To: CQ-Contest@contesting.com
> Subject: [CQ-Contest] NIL = Not In Log
>
> Hello contest operators,
>
> Time for a reminder post about NILs. (NIL = Not In Log). I
> had the sad experience in the SS contest of answering a CQ
> and having the op tell me we had worked before. Now to start
> with I try not to call stations I've already worked. That
> wouldn't make any sense. In this case I had checked to see
> if I had worked him before I called him, and he was not in my log.
>
> Him: CQ SS from K4-Blah-Blah.
> Me: N5OT
> Him: N5OT worked before QRZ contest.
> Me: You're not in my log.
> Him: Check your number 334 QRZ contest.
> Me: Okay....Nope, that's not you.
> Him: Well, I was your number 334 QRZ contest.
> Me: That's not what I have.
> Him: Sorry, worked before, QRZ contest.
>
> Interesting. I suppose if my number 334 was K4-BLUE-Blah
> then maybe I'd consider I must have copied his call wrong and
> maybe I'd change my log to say K4-BLAH-blah. But my number
> 334 was W9Three-Letter-Something - obviously K4-Blah-Blah
> only *thinks* I worked him, but really I didn't. Either I
> was working someone else and for whatever reason he didn't
> realize it, or he worked someone else and copied their call
> as N5OT. That happens.
>
> The sad thing is, I tried to have a valid contest QSO with
> him which would have benefited us both, but because he
> doesn't understand about this stuff, now I don't get the QSO
> and I've wasted more time than it would have taken to just
> trade exchanges and move on. Now K4-Blah-Blah will not get
> the QSO with me he could have, AND he'll get both a NIL and
> also a penalty.
>
> So the moral of the story is "don't be like K4-Blah-Blah,
> when someone says you're not in their log, you better just
> work them again and be done with it." It would have taken
> less time than the above on-air dialogue.
>
> So Tree, what is the right thing for K4-Blah-Blah do with his
> #334? Take it out of the log? Leave it in? Did he perhaps
> work some other OT but log him as me?
>
> Mark, N5OT
>
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