[CQ-Contest] Efficiently Calling CQ in CW Contests

[Phillip Landmeier]

Seems the we "TEST at the end" guys are in the minority Mark, but I 
strongly agree with you.

When I'm in S&P mode and tuning up the band picking off contacts as 
fast as I can, I invariably drop into the middle of QSOs or calls. 
TEST at the end is MUCH better for me for the following reasons:

1) TEST tells me exactly when to transmit. If I haven't been 
listening long enough to learn the pattern of the run station (how 
many times he sends his call, etc., TEST at the end is an immediate 
cue to transmit. Callsign at the end is not good because I don't know 
how many times it will be sent. I have to spend time listening and 
thinking.

2) "K" at the end might tell me when to transmit, BUT when I hear 
someone using K, I don't know if the person is contesting or if it is 
a normal QSO, nor do I know who is running and who is S&P. When I'm 
in a big hurry I sometimes skip stations that send K. Also, some 
stations send K more than once, so I can't rely on it as a transmit 
cue. It seems that TEST is never sent more than once so I don't have 
to wait around to learn the calling station's pattern.

3) When I drop into the middle of a contest QSO, TEST at the end 
(where it is most useful) tells me who is the run station and that 
he's ready for the next contact. (the pattern is similar in a DX 
pileup: the station sending QRZ is the DX).

For my part, I much prefer a single "TEST" at the end - sent at 
double speed if you like. I can drop onto a frequency and hear "...YZ 
W1XYZ TEST" - bang! I've been on frequency for 2 seconds and I'm 
transmitting my call. I'm in and out in 10 seconds without puzzling 
out the idiosyncrasies of the caller.

There are so many different patterns used that I've wondered if some 
contesters use oddball patterns with the intent of attracting 
attention by being weird. This is counterproductive and wastes time. 
Contesting is all about speed and efficiency. It is not about 
inventing strange new calling patterns. Oddball calling patterns are 
not amusing but simply waste time and tire out the S&P guys.

This whole issue seems a no brainer to me.

VY 73 DE KW2P, Phil


On 27 Feb 2004 at 16:23, kd4d at comcast.net wrote:

> Hi Vladimir:
> 
> Exactly.  When you are running, people who are tuning the band are
> likely to tune across you in the middle of a CQ.  This is why I've
> recently pretty much changed from:
> 
> TEST CALL CALL  (or CQ TEST CALL CALL)
> to
> CALL CALL TEST (or CALL TEST)
> 
> when the rates are decent.  If someone just hears the call, they
> can't tell whether the station is running or calling someone else.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Mark, KD4D
> > 
> > Gents,
> > Finally there came a thing I was long waiting for somebody to post it here:
> > 
> > > Guys, please..
> > > Saying contest or keying test means you are calling CQ in
> > > the contest.
> > > Saying your callsign only means you are trying to get a QSO with
> > > someone who just called a CQ on the band..
> > ...
> > >
> > > Jukka OH6LI
> > >
> > 
> > It really says everything. Nothing to add except just one remark.
> > When people is doing S&P, they are going down the band listening to station
> > by station. Right? They hear a new signal, then they tune to this new
> > signal, and THEN they listen to what the new station transmits. What I want
> > to say is that people comes to your frequency in the middle of your
> > transmission! Consider this, period, when you are programming your macroses.
> > Then the what Jukka says applies.
> > 
> > Thanks and 73,
> > Vladimir EU1SA
> > 
> > 
> > 
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