[CQ-Contest] Secrets of Contesting, Chapter 14

[Kenneth E. Harker]

On Fri, Jan 30, 2004 at 11:19:01PM -0800, James Neiger wrote:
> 
> Secrets of Contesting, Chapter 14

...

> 3. Never, ever, call a station unless you know 100% his callsign.  Ever.
> (please see 1. and 2., above).  It's truly amazing to me HOW MANY call
> without a clue.  Is this sound operating?  I think not.  Yes, the DX station
> has the ultimate responsibility to identify on a regular basis.  In that
> there are no defined standards, I can well appreciate that some
> 'ambiguities' might exist.  However, I believe that unless YOUR rate is 200+
> per hour, it is your responsibility to harken to the DX station's operating
> procedure.  Please, if you don't like it, don't call.  Simple.

I totally disagree with this.  

Many DX stations arrogantly feel that they can make _many_ QSOs in a 
row without giving out their callsign.  A lot of them, I am sure, are 
relying upon the packet network to inform the W/VE stations of their 
callsign.  But, whether it's laziness or arrogance, or both, the problem
for the serious W/VE contester is the same.  When a W/VE contester 
tunes across a DX station that is not giving out a callsign, the W/VE
can either wait (for who knows how long) or call the DX station and 
ask for the callsign if they get through.  Waiting is NEVER the right 
decision for the W/VE station that wants to make as many QSOs as possible.
To call and ask for a callsign if you get through is ALWAYS going to 
be faster for the W/VE station.

DX stations that refuse to sign frequently enough are gambling.  They are
gambling that their time is more valuable to them than the W/VE stations'
time is valuable to the W/VE stations.  This may even be true for the vast
majority of W/VE stations that the DX works.  Nevertheless, DX stations who 
sign infrequently should not be upset when their gamble fails once in
a while, and a W/VE station calls and asks for a callsign.  If the DX 
station is not willing to put up with that, they should not complain
to everyone on the planet that the W/VE station is "clueless" or 
"irresponsible."   They should instead learn to sign more frequently.

Simple.

-- 
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Kenneth E. Harker      "Vox Clamantis in Deserto"      kharker at cs.utexas.edu
University of Texas at Austin                   Amateur Radio Callsign: WM5R
Department of the Computer Sciences          Central Texas DX & Contest Club
Taylor Hall TAY 2.124                         Maintainer of Linux on Laptops
Austin, TX 78712-1188 USA            http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/kharker/
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