[CQ-Contest] Use of di-di-dah-dah-di-dit in CW Contest

[Bob Davis]

Mike DeChristopher, K1KAA wrote:

>Some people get very frustrated when S&P'ers send a "?" after their CQ.  
>You'll get the callsign in a second or two; I don't think it will kill 
>the rate.  In fact, sending "?" and waiting for him to send his call may 
>take just as long.  Same with phone weekends: saying "YOUR CALL?" 
>usually makes the running op angry.  There's a situation for everything, 
>though.
>
>Or maybe "the other guy" only caught part of SQ5M's ..--.. and figured 
>he heard a call.  Either way, the problem would have been avoided if he 
>just listened to the next CQ.  RX first.
>
That could be. If I send "?" because I tuned in to the CQ late, shame on 
me; I'll wait! 

My beef is when the op is in the middle of a run and doesn't send his 
call.  For my part, being an almost exclusively S&P op, it's really 
irritating when a running op signs with "QRZ?" instead of their 
callsign.  I listened to more than a few ops in my short experience in 
radiosport who run, run, run at a very impressive clip, but I sit there 
for five or six minutes waiting for them to actually transmit their 
callsign instead of "QRZ?" of "T U".  That's a complete waste of my 
time, especially since ending a contact with "T U NQ3X" or "Thanks, 
November Quebec Three X-ray" is just as simple.  I can't be alone; how 
many Qs are those running ops missing because they don't sign 
regularly?  I listen before transmitting.  If conditions are poor, I'll 
listen to several exchanges to ensure logging accuracy.  But to listen 
to a dozen or more exchanges before getting my first crack at his 
callsign?  That gets a "?" from my key.  If that upsets him, it 
*should*.  That's the point - to upset his rut and make him identify his 
station.  I'm not saying every running op does this; it is definitely 
not the norm.  But it happens, and there's no reason for it.

Cheers,

Bob NQ3X