[CQ-Contest] CW Exchange

[Robert Brandon]

As a DXer, if you really want to be sure he got your call right, you should
not give an exchange until you can copy his sending of your call.  You might
send "N4DXI?" and get him to send it again.  I do that sometimes when a
pileup covers his sending of my call.  Or you could send "QRS N4DXI?".

This weekend, it seemed that a LOT of stations were sending their call as
part of the exchange.  If I were rare DX, okay.  Or if there's someone else
very near me and you want to clarify who you're working, okay.  (And yeah,
the rules still say you have to ID at the end of a QSO.  But I don't think
the FCC would get anybody for transmitting four numbers three seconds after
sending their call.  But let's not get into that, please.)  

But as a general rule, sending your call in the exchange (when not required
by the contest rules) just slows things down.   When I hear it, it says to
me, "Hey you busted my call!"  Oops, I thought you just had to send 5NN 4
and we were done, so I'd been focusing on the second radio, or let rip a
good belch -- whatever.  Did I really get it wrong?  The worst is when a
static crash clobbers that *second* sending of your call.  I spend time
confirming your call only to find I really had it right the first time.
Ugh.  I get a penalty for busting your call, so absent some DX
consideration, trust me to get it right.

Robert K5PI

-----Original Message-----
From: cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of n4dxi at arrl.net
Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 2:39 PM
To: cq-contest at contesting.com
Subject: [CQ-Contest] CW Exchange

During the CQ WW DX there was a lot of QRN and QRM....exchange was 
something like...

Me....S & P up the band, hearing a DX in an exchange, checking he's not 
a dupe, waiting, then....

DX:   "...TU"  at 35 wpm machine gun cw.

Me: "N4DXI"  at 20 wpm contest slow.

DX: "N4DX(crackle pop) 5NN 3A"  still at light speed but I really don't 
expect him to slow down.

Me:  Did he get my call or not?  Sounds like he missed it so I reply, 
not wanting to break his rythm, I repeat my call and add my exchange.

        "N4DXI 5NN 5"

DX: "TU"

Unfortunately, I still don't know if he got my call.  I guess I could 
have just come back with my call and forced him to reply with my 
call....but if he had it right in the first place, he'd think I was a 
lid or be confused
or he may have already gone to the next call.

Because I sent my call again, do I trust him to get it right without
his acknowledgement?  I especially want him to get my call correctly 
for later LOTW match and my growing DXCC count.

What's the best way to handle this situation?

73....John Bescher, N4DXI


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