ARRL DX Exchange

[Jastaples at aol.com]

I've read a number of comments concerning the "exchange" in the recent ARRL
DX CW contest. As yet I haven't seen any direct reference to the "Rules".
Item 6(B) clearly states that the DX stations 
send "... power (3-digit number...)". The "accepted practice" of sending KW
or just K clearly does not adhere to this rule. Does that mean that many of
the big contest operations were not sending valid exchanges and hence should
have their scores adjusted to reflect this?

Again it is commonly accepted practice to allow the use of the characters A,
N, T to represent "digits" perhaps skirting the edge of
"strict adherence to the Rules". 

Along with this I see comments to the effect that "copying numeric exchanges"
accurately are one of the marks of the superior operator. Where does this
apply in copying nnk?

But then I for one wouldn't change anything... it's all part of what little
remains of the mystic of amateur radio.

de Joe, W5ASP

>From Tony Brock-Fisher <fisher at hp-and.an.hp.com>  Fri Feb 24 17:30:46 1995
From: Tony Brock-Fisher <fisher at hp-and.an.hp.com> (Tony Brock-Fisher)
Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 12:30:46 -0500
Subject: V44 exchange or lack thereof
Message-ID: <9502241730.AA07083 at hp-and.an.hp.com>


I say as long as you get all the information contained in the exchange,
whether or not it is in the specifified format, the Q is good. I don't think
any rules state that you have to get all the info in one contiguous
transmission. What's the difference between saying:

   "HI OM. WX HR COOL ES CLDY. WHATS UR PWR?"

and the more curt:

   "PWR?"

If you have to get it all in one shot, then any Q where you have to ask
for a fill is bogus. And it certainly doesn't matter if the guy
"isn't in the contest".

-Tony, K1KP, fisher at hp-and.an.hp.com