[CQ-Contest] Re: What Is a Contact?

[Doug Smith W9WI]

Is a rule necessary?  Maybe not.  Obviously there are many on the reflector
who feel not.  There is definitely considerable sentiment among the
operators I know that failure to ID frequently is a serious problem.  This
view is largely expressed by the "little pistols", the folks who spend most
or all of the contest S&P.  

Obviously the FCC does not consider this a serious issue even if they do
feel their rules require an ID with each QSO.  Really I don't think this
issue should be one for governments to be involved in.  Certainly
participants in a round-table or traffic net don't need to be forced to ID
every time they stop transmitting.  

But they aren't in a hurry either - nothing is lost if a would-be new
participant has to wait around a few minutes to find out who he's listening
to.  We're different.

> Chances are by the time he does ID, he'll just end up being the umpteenth
> zone 13 station you've worked anyway..

Very true.  It's the possibility he might be that South Sandwich station
nobody expected to show up, and the fear I might pass him up because I
thought it was LU6XXX who I'd already worked and who only IDd every 5
minutes.  

Anyway, I have developed a strategy for dealing with this.  I'm not going to
take my chances that the non-IDing station might be a needed mult. (or even
needed QSO)  If I hear someone running, and I don't know, by hearing his
call, that he's a dupe, I'm going to call him.  (no, I'm not going to
jeopardize my rate by continuing to call if he doesn't come back reasonably
quickly)  If, when he comes back to me, he hasn't given his call, I'm going
to ask him for it.  

(I'm of mixed mind regarding what to do if, after asking for his call, he
still fails to ID.  One option is to keep asking him, stepping on other
callers if necessary, until he IDs.  The other is to scratch the QSO.  On
the one hand, that gives him a NIL - on the other since it's probably going
to flag as a dupe on his end, it's not going to hurt him significantly.)

Would you, in the NAQP, call "CQ NA", and then insist on exchanging RST,
rig, weather, and occupation before you give your name and QTH?  Of course
not; that would be an amazingly discourteous attempt to have a good time at
the expense of your fellow competitors.  Intentionally failing to ID
frequently isn't quite as blatant but IMHO it's a similar behavior.
-- 
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com