[CQ-Contest] Leading zeroes

[XV4Y (Yan)]

Hi,

Just one point of view from the other corner of the planet.
During the last 3 contests I entered (for only a few hours each I admit) over the last months, I tried the 4 strategies : send just "n" (the number), send TTn, send OOn or send the full 00n.
In all cases some operator were confused and asked me for a repeat (not counting the cases with "very low" S/N ratio). The lesser repeats needs were for "n" and "00n". The worst case was OOn because if there is QSB the other stations can wonder if it was a 2 or 8 instead of a O.

Now I've decided to go with the full numbers, not cut numbers, because 95% of the QSO I make during a contest are "on the edge" with QSB or QRM (I run 100W to simple antennas) and this is what gives the best "signal recovery" possibilities. I very seldom can run high rates where a few seconds lost in sending 0 really matter.
If I were located closer to Europe, or if I had better antennas, giving me stronger signals, perhaps I would go without the leading 0.

73,
Yan.
---
Yannick DEVOS - XV4Y
http://xv4y.radioclub.asia/
http://varc.radioclub.asia/

> Le 22 mai 2015 à 04:09, cq-contest-request at contesting.com a écrit :
> 
> Message: 10
> Date: Thu, 21 May 2015 17:07:30 +0000
> From: Michael Adams <mda at n1en.org>
> To: "cq-contest at contesting.com" <cq-contest at contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Leading zeroes
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> 
> One quick observation:  Speaking from past experience, when I've jumped in mid-way/late in a contest with a serial number exchange, I have received fewer "?" responses when sending leading T's than when sending just a one- or two-digit number.
> 
> I think it goes along with the common-sense rule: send what the other side expects to receive.   If they're expecting a three-digit number (because just about everybody is past 100), send a three digit number.
> 
> 
> -- 
> Michael Adams | N1EN | mda at n1en.org