[CQ-Contest] Leading Zeros etc.

[ve4xt at mymts.net]

If I have started late in a contest, as Art says, giving out puny serials while most everyone else is in the hundreds, a single- or two-digit SN gets more fill requests naked than with leading zeroes. People by then are expecting three digits and decide they missed a digit or two.

I never use leading zeroes on phone, with no problems, but find on CW fill requests are fewer with leading Ts. If I'm starting at the beginning, when everyone else is also giving out less than 100, I turn leading zeroes off. 

Like Mike, I would strongly encourage newcomers to say Roger or QSL if you hear the correct exchange repeated back as a confirmation request. I suspect, however, many operators who resend their info after you've sent it back correctly are probably the victims of the same interference that caused you doubt, and think they heard you reply incorrectly.

73, kelly, ve4xt, 

Sent from my iPad

> On Mar 31, 2016, at 6:37 AM, John P. via CQ-Contest <cq-contest at contesting.com> wrote:
> 
> I've been trying a theory this year in contests that seems be proving out: In CW contests, don't send leading zeros but in SSB and RTTY do so.
> I'm not about to send full zeros in CW and I think TT3 or T99 causes more fill requests than just sending 3 and 99.
> But on SSB contests, seems more ops ask for repeats if no leading zero - throws their rhythm off.Sorta like how many get confused in the Stu Perry or some state QSO parties that don't require RST - meaningless fill but people are used to the rhythm.
> RTTY, my data seems mixed - since the norm is to send the exchange more than once, not so necessary BUT a single digit makes for an awful click target in the RTTY window, so I've erred on the side of including leading zeros.
> Personally, on SSB receive I don't mind the leading zeros as it gives me a head start on decoding the speaker's accent before the meaningful data comes out.
> I could live without anyone sending cut numbers on any meaningful part of the exchange, so I with you on CW.
> 73 John K3TN
> 
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