[CQ-Contest] QSO B4

[David Siddall]

Times were different "back in the day".  Prefixes sometimes were omitted or
misplaced on paper dupe sheets.  And any unmarked dupes in the log incurred
a penalty.

I remember a late Saturday afternoon 40 years ago that almost spooked me
out.  Very tired after a full day of work, I stopped by the club station to
make a few Q's in ARRL SS.  As I started up the band using our trusty Swan
350,  the very first station I called responded with "dupe!" in a voice
suggesting that I was an idiot or something.  Wouldn't QSO me, even after I
told him that I had just turned the radio on and he was my number 1!

Next guy, same thing, although he politely worked me (or pretended to) when
I told him he was my no. 1, couldn't be a dupe.  Third or fourth finally
said "hey, I just worked W3ZJ!"  Sure enough, shortly thereafter I heard
W3ZJ on weak back scatter when we were both calling the same station.  So I
jumped a few stations up the band, which solved the problem for ME.

Now with PC duping, everything's much better, with only typos &
honest-to-goodness NILs.  All good operators know to work dupes if they
call while running and the log checking software does what's needed without
penalty.  No more hand-duping and checking 1400 QSO SS logs, or even
worrying if there are dupes in the log. Just submit the log 1 minute after
the contest ends!

And yes, we have to gently elmer the less-experienced on the finer points
when they worry about dupes or about their logging software when it doesn't
 correctly reflect a multiplier in the middle of a run.


73, Dave K3ZJ

On Thu, Mar 31, 2016 at 7:08 AM, <kr2q at optimum.net> wrote:

> Ken said,
> I never had this problem when I was WB6VFJ…
>
> Ho Ho Ho....
>
> When I was WB2VYA, it was not uncommon to get QSO B4 cuz WA2VYA (Frank)
> was also an
> active contester (his was a reissued call, so imagine my surprise when HE
> showed up!).
>
> Seems crazy now, but Frank was the main reason why I checked off "new
> call" when taking
> my extra class at the Federal Bldg in NYC (~100 years ago).
>
> de Doug KR2Q
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