[CQ-Contest] Cut numbers

[William Scholz]

Cut numbers work in report exchanges like 5NN 'cause we hear the string as a
single sound---but you can't do that in QSO numbers because unless you've
listened to the station run a qso's or two, you have no idea what's coming.
When I hear cut numbers in that context, I find that I'm mentally
translating A to 1 and then finding the key on the keyboard---really slows
down the qso, especially in S&P where I have to get the exchange into the
computer before I can send the acknowledgement and my exchange. I also
suspect that the few milliseconds more it takes to send (and therefore hear)
"o -- -- -- --" as opposed to "o --", gives my brain the time it needs to
translate that into "next to top row, leftmost key, push".  (At my age every
millisecond counts!!)

They work sort of OK in zone numbers, because in general you know what's
coming, LU is A3 (or is it A2?).

In the interests of efficiency of communication, they should only be used
where they are predictable by the receiving station.

73 de W1HIJ, Bill
(and the other op at N6HC this weekend)



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