[CQ-Contest] Wasting time??????

[Jimk8mr at aol.com]

A couple of small additions to this beaten to near death topic:
 
1.  If some little pistol is wasting your time by saying "please  copy", 
he's probably saying the same thing to anyone else he works.  So he  wastes as 
much of their time as he does yours, hence a wash. Relax!
 
2.  Opportunity costs.  You may be running a great rate to EU on  20M at 
1400z, but if you're missing the 15 meter opening, you are losing. 20  will be 
there later, 15 won't. You have to have some judgement on what will  wait, 
and what won't.
 
3.  Opportunity costs part 2: unless you're trying to make a show on  the 
real time scoreboard, don't sweat the really common multipliers early on.  
Last weekend I  was surprised to have several big east coast single ops  call 
in early on 20 meters, presumably for a zone 4 mult. Can't imagine why they  
were worried about that one in the first hours of the first day.  
 
 
73  -  Jim    K8MR        (Running last weekend from  K8AZ)
 
 
In a message dated 12/4/2010 12:54:31 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
trogo at telegraphy.com writes:

There  are many things to consider many of which have been mentioned:

1.   Propagation - here today gone tomorrow - A BIG ISSUE
2.  Many stations  only operate a few hours during the contest - maybe not 
there  later
3.  Possible problems with the station which could slow down  future rate 
possibilities
4.  Possible antenna/rotor failures which  could have great impact
5.  Other extenuating circumstances such as  illness, etc.
6   Probably others which aren't  included...........

IMHO the best strategy is to work them when you can  and as fast as you can 
- worry about
sunday when sunday comes.   

Regarding the signing of your call:   I can't imagine how  much time I've 
wasted while hunting new
multipliers, especially in the waning hours of the contest,  listening
to a station running but not signing  his call only to realize I'd already
worked  that station when the call is finally divulged!  VERY
FRUSTRATING! Sometimes I'll finally call the station and when  he
answers I'll ask for his call and if it's a  dupe he's wasted HIS 
valuable time! So who  wins?  Even worse if you're operating Unassisted and
can't refer to the "spots" and  more or less determine who  it is.
My modus operandi is to sign at  least every second QSO and
always acknowlege the  receipt of the other stations' report with
a  "TU" or "QSL" or in some manner.  If both stations don't acknowledge  
the receipt of the exchange how can they  know it was a valid contact
and is it worth  the risk of a 3 QSO penalty if it wasn't? Especially
important when the pile up is  massive.