[CQ-Contest] cut #

[John T. Laney III]

Robert Chudek - K0RC wrote:

>Paul - VO1HE in part wrote:
>
>"One way to get rid of many cut numbers would be to eliminate the totally
>useless RST in contest exchanges. Make the exchange something worth copying."
>
>- - - - - - - - - - -
>
>We only have ourselves to blame for turning the RST into a synch pulse instead of anything useful. I have been going over my old contest logs from the '60s and '70s and find the RST reports were "honest" reports, not an endless column of 599's.
>
>73 de Bob - KØRC in MN
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>  
>
The final death of "real" signal reports in contests is, in my opinion, 
due to the very popular early contest logging programs that had no 
provision to record a sent RST other than "599."  Both NA and CT would 
allow recording of a received exchange other than 599, but not a sent 
exchange of less than 599.  Thus, if you want to use one of those 
programs and send reports other than 599, you must make some kind of a 
note and go back and edit the Cabrillo file afterward if you want to 
submit an accurate log.  I understand that TR and perhaps other later 
logging programs allow for other sent signal reports to be logged.  I 
didn't notice that WINTEST used at NQ4I last weekend would allow the 
recording of a signal report other than 599, but I suspect that it does. 

Interestingly, NA Logger, which I use for non contest DXpedition 
logging, allows the logging of sent reports different than 59 or 599, 
but NAQSL only prints out 59 or 599 reports on the labels regardless of 
what the log showed as having been the sent report.

Prior to my beginning to use CT and NA real time in contests in 1993, I 
often sent real signal reports in contests and still occasionally do so 
today when operating a contest not covered by my two old favorite 
logging programs.  I continue to use "real" RST reports from my 
Caribbean operations outside major contests.  I would do so also in 
major contests from home, at least occasionally, if the logging program 
allowed for easy logging of the sent exchange other than 599. 

73,

John, K4BAI.