[CQ-Contest] Contest exchange

[Paul O'Kane]

On 22/03/2013 12:14, Bob Naumann wrote:

> There is no way that this will save K1TN any time (sorry, old buddy).

On the contrary, I have done it, in both CQWW CW and
CQWW SSB, and it does save time.  Every unnecessary
syllable or character dropped saves time.  In a total
of some 700 QSOs, only seven or eight ops insisted
on a report.  Why, I don't know, since they already
knew what it would be.  It's what their logger had
already inserted in the RST field, the field they
skip after entering the callsign.


> I think that making an issue out of sending what undeniably is strictly a
> "sync" for the rest of the exchange is essentially without merit.

When I hear another contester reply with my call,
I can predict, with confidence, that the exchange
will follow.  I'm a contester, and my callsign is
the only "sync" I need.  Others may differ :-)


> If you think about it, what's so important about the rest of the exchange?
> It's really all meaningless - isn't it?

No contest with serials could be described as
having a meaningless exchange.  Neither could
others where the exchange can not be inferred,
in full, from the callsign, or is not otherwise
known in advance.


> It is for this reason that I find the criticism of the contents of the
> required exchange to be of no value - when, the entire contest's value could
> be questioned.

K1TN has questioned the practice of exchanging
redundant information - information that is
ignored during log-checking, that is not needed
for DXCC claims, that is discarded on each and
every LOTW QSO record (millions of them).

> So, send the 5nn and stop complaining about redundancy.

It's not clear whether it's the practice of
exchanging 5NN in contest that is being defended,
or the fact that rules must be obeyed - or both.

Should we bring back, or introduce, 5NN in ARRL SS
and Field Day, in all Sprints, in all State QSO
Parties, and in CWOps mini tests?   In my limited
experience, no one misses reports when they're not
expecting them.

73,
Paul EI5DI