[CQ-Contest] Whats happened to DE ???

[Clive Whelan]

Bob


 > It adds no information and does nothing to
 > increase the operator's score.
 >


I believe it specifically *does* add information, and in my own
experience categorically gets me more replies than would
otherwise be the case. Thus I use de almost exclusively.

Now my own case may not be typical, since with 100 watts and
wire, I am never going to be strong, and it may not be as
significant for the big guns, particularly those who are "
household names" The argument about the time wasted by sending
de, is essentially the same as the cut number argument, the
other side of the coin being the number of repeats that are
generated. Quite simply this can never be resolved ( woah there,
never  say never!), and is simply anecdotal as opposed to
analytical, thus everyone must do what they believe works for
them.

However I can tell you that if you call me fast in marginal
conditions or a pile up, there is a much better chance I will
get you first time if you precede your call with de.

This begs the question ( if one assumes there is any validity in
the above argument) as to why the de should be helpful. I am no
psychologist, but believe it may have something to do with
synchronisation of the brain/keyboard interface, which in my
experience is significantly inferior to the brain pen/paper
interface of yore.

The analogue may, I believe, be found in the protocols of RTTY,
RS232 etc, where the decoder needs to know that this is the
start of a sequence and not the middle thereof. Now we are more
intelligent/adaptable than machines ( allegedly!), but can use
any help we can get in the decoding process. Now it may be  that
in another 40 years time when I have been copying to keyboard as
long as I have been using pen/paper, I will no longer need such
crutches, but since I am unlikely still to be around in 40 years
time, I wouldn't hold your breath waiting to find out!


There is no one size fits all resolution of this argument, and
we must all do what works for us.


ymmv


73

Clive
GW3NJW
Contest Cymru
http://www.ionospheric.co.uk


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