[CQ-Contest] What Is a Contact?

[Bill Turner]

On Sun, 18 Aug 2002 09:47:12 -0600, Larry N7DF wrote:

>  =A797.119 Station identification.=20
>  (a) Each amateur station, except a space station or telecommand =
>station, must transmit its assigned call sign on its transmitting =
>channel at the end of each communication, and at least every ten minutes =
>during a communication, for the purpose of clearly making the source of =
>the transmissions from the station known to those receiving the =
>transmissions. 

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A jailhouse lawyer like myself could have a field day with this
one.  Your original question was "What is a contact".  I might
ask "What is a communication".  Is it an exchange of information
with one station, or with more than one station?   I'm sure there
is no shortage of interpretations, but only the FCC's
interpretation counts, and that seems to be lacking.

Looking at the rule as a whole, I believe the correct
interpretation should focus on the last part which states the
purpose of the identification.  The FCC wants identification
every ten minutes AND at the time of going QRT.  I don't read it
as being needed after each QSO.  But hey, I haven't passed my
jailhouse lawyer bar exam either...  :-) 

Bill, W7TI