[CQ-Contest] unIDs

[Ken Claerbout]

It wasn't just you Doug. The problem has been discussed before but it exploded this weekend like I've never heard it before. I don't know why. I get not ID'ing after every QSO at times. But going 5 or more contest QSO's or a minute or more with "TU" or ". ." at the end of every QSO is not an acceptable practice for anyone. It seemed prevalent in the Caribbean but there were many others, well known calls and prominent stations who know better but don't seem to care enough to do something about it. 

On a number of occasions I got impatient so I worked the station and asked for their call at the end of my exchange. More often than not I just got another "TU." Several times I gave up and didn't log the station. Or, a station would finally give his call only to be covered up by all of the people calling. 

We like to say that our sport is still about copying with your ears and not blindly accepting what shows up on your monitor if you are operating with assistance; skill over automation. But seriously guys (and gals), who is going to take the time to do that and make an extra effort at a clean log, if you have to put up with some of the operating practices this weekend. Just take your chances and move on. And for those of us who still like to operate without assistance, we're in a bigger hole.

Now when you hear a contest station running people and giving their call with regularity, its like a breath of fresh air rather than being the norm. Wish I knew what the answer is.  To be honest, there where times this weekend when I felt like turning off the second radio (SO2R) or just running stations as long as I could in order to avoid the frustration. 

Ken K4ZW