[CQ-Contest] Efficiently Calling CQ in CW Contests

[Bill Coleman]

On Feb 26, 2004, at 6:07 PM, Richard J. Norton wrote:

> In summary, I use:
>
> "CQ N6AA N6AA"
>
> without any "TEST" or "K."

I totally agree with Dick here. I also want to add that when I'm trying 
to copy a station who is sending above a speed I can easily copy (and 
that would be virtually all of them), a terminal TEST makes my life 
more difficult.

Here's why. I might just catch the first couple of characters in the 
callsign, before my brain fritzes out. Then I can sorta memorize the 
last couple of seconds of the transmission, and replay them in my mind, 
slowing it down so I can copy the last few characters. But, if the 
station sends a terminal TEST, I'll recognise that immediately, even at 
really high speeds, but it wipes out my auditory memory.


Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
             -- Wilbur Wright, 1901