Top Band openings can be quite short and so brevity is of essence. I have
lost many a weak signal contact because the other guy was sending
superfluous things like TU except at end when he is running. Also, sending
QSL, repeating his call sign for no reason, sending my call sign or sending
really slow as he slowly drops into the noise, never to be heard again.
With weak signals we can be lucky just to copy the call sign and exchange.
Brief and to the point is what I like:
ME: CQ TEST KH6AQ
YOU: W6ABC
ME: W6ABC 5NN 31
YOU: 5NN 3
ME: TU KH6AQ
YOU: CQ TEST W6ABC
ME: KH6AQ
YOU: KH6AQ 5NN 3
ME: 5NN 31
YOU: TU W6ABC
--------------------------------
I do not need to hear TU or QSL because the act of responding to your
exchange without comment says "I copied your exchange to my satisfaction."
TU and QSL are implied.
If I send W6A? sending W6ABC is okay but if I continue to send W6A? it
would be nice for you to send BC BC BC BC W6ABC.
Sending your call sign after contact is initiated tells me "you did not
copy my call sign correctly so here it is again." We then get into a loop
with the right way to exit being for you to send R R R which tells me I do
have your call sign right. The wrong way is to continue to send your call
sign as you fade into the noise never to be heard again.
Sending really slow (like <20 wpm) can cause each and every character to be
obliterated by a thunderstorm blast. Send faster and a character can sneak
though in between blasts. Sending too fast on top band (like >30 wpm) can
also be problematic on weak paths. I understand sending fast if you are
running strong stations and making rate but if I am weak at your end you
are weak at my end. Also, if I CQ at 25 wpm please reply at 25 wpm and not
30+ wpm. There's a reason I am going slow.
Dave KH6AQ
On Mon, Jan 26, 2026 at 10:03 PM Michael Tope <W4EF@dellroy.com> wrote:
> Tree,
>
> If I understand what you are suggesting the sequence modification would be:
>
> YOU: CQ N6TR/XX9 N6TR/XX9 TEST
>
> ME: W4EF W4EF
>
> YOU: W4EF 5NN 24
>
> ME (CONVENTIONAL EXCHANGE): TU 5NN CA
>
> ME (WEAK SIGNAL EXCHANGE): N6TR/XX9 N6TR/XX9 QSL 5NN CA 5NN CA
>
> YOU: W4EF QSL 73 N6TR/XX9
>
> If we were both at our home stations we could use the conventional
> exchange (unless it was 2 or 3 hours past sunrise). If however, you are
> portable XX9 chances are good you are immersed in a cacophony of QRN and
> straining to copy me. Then it would be good to know that I am actually
> answering you instead of another W6 that you can't hear because he is
> running 5 watts to a top-loaded broomstick.
>
> 73, Mike W4EF..............
>
>
>
>
>
> On 1/26/2026 9:09 AM, Tree wrote:
> > And again - I am frustrated that during difficult conditions, stations
> > won't send my callsign when I am CQing. Conditions this weekend were
> > horrible. I had someone in Florida call me - which I thought was
> > impossible - and decided not to work them when they did not respond to
> "who
> > are you working?" - as I thought for sure they were answering a European
> I
> > couldn't hear. I even did the same thing when someone called in from
> Texas
> > - that band was that bad.
> >
> > 73 Tree N6TR
> >
> >
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