[CQ-Contest] Log what was sent

[George Fremin III]

On Thu, Sep 29, 2016 at 01:44:34PM -0400, Joe Fischer wrote:

> Based on my readings, it is quite clear: LOG WHAT THE OTHER OP SENDS!

In this forum and other places I have heard this advice given out "log
what they send".  In most contests this is not good advice.  If what
they send does not make sense you need to figure out how to make it
make sense. You need to effectively communicate with the other station
to determine their correct information.

In the CQ WW DX contests the exchange is CQ zone.  Your log must
contain one of these zones. The only valid entries are 1 through 40.
If the other station sends 59(9) 54 what should you do?

You could log the zone as 54 - but you will likely loose credit for
this contact when the logs are checked.

You need to figure out the correct zone.

Ask.  

Maybe he sent it incorrectly.

Maybe he is sending his age because he thinks this is what you wanted.

Maybe he is guessing that you needed a serial number.

Ask them for their CQ Zone - many people know their zone.

But what if the station does not know his zone?

Ask them for their location. You can almost always quickly figure out
their zone from their location. There are a few that will require a
bit more probing.

You might say "but I do not know where all the zones are" - there are
maps and lists - have them handy and use them.  As you gain more
experience you will learn them - so when a KL7 in Alaska calls in and
sends 54 to you you can ask him if he is in Alaska and thus CQ zone
1. And even if he does not send zone 1 you should log it as zone
1. Once he tells you he is in Alaska you can log zone 1 since that is
his correct zone.

This is true for almost every contest. 

N5KO made this post a few years ago regarding the ARRL Sweepstakes:

http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/CQ-Contest/1999-04/msg00262.html

And those of you that keep giving this bad advice - please stop.

-- 
George Fremin III - K5TR
geoiii at kkn.net
http://www.kkn.net/~k5tr