[CQ-Contest] Contest CQ format?

[Vladimir Sidorov]

There are talks about minimizing QSO time all the time here in the list. 
Putting just a call-sign in the end of CQ is not really good in respect of 
time saving for two reasons:
- If a S&P station tunes on your freq and misses the initial CQ, the overall 
message looks unclear because the S&P-er does not know and has no reason to 
understand whether you are calling CQ or calling somebody else yourself. It 
might cause the S&P station to wait for another CQ cycle to make sure, he 
can call you. After all you have a QSO with the S&P-er but are in loss 
because the QSO might have place a CQ cycle earlier.
- Another option. Somebody tuned on your freq from the very beginning and 
noted the CQ call. But then there goes a string of your call-signs and there 
is no clear mark when it ends... Kno knows whether you send your call once, 
or twice, or more. People should sit and wait until it turns to be clear, 
your CQ call is over and you can be called upon. Obviously it creates a 
small pause between the end of your CQ call and somebodyesle's call.
The fractions of seconds earned on the cut numbers are wasted out for the 
above.

Obviously if the CQ call is ended with TEST, people will call you 
immidiatelly after that. For sure, in this case you gain time.
BUT... There is always, but.

The TEST ending is also not an ideal thing. The point is, there is no 
problem if your TX/RX transition time is quick enough, especially if you 
have a good QSK. But if there is quite a substantial delay in passing to RX, 
you might miss the very first dits-dots of your caller's call-sign and 
you'll have to ask for repeat. It's another time consuming thing.

Time for a conclusion. Good QSK, quick transition time - for for the <CALL> 
TEST structure. Big PA with large slow relays and long TX/RX transition 
time - gor for TEST <CALL> structure. It will grant you some extra time and 
protect you from first missing sounds.

73,
Vladimir VE3IAE/EU1SA