[CQ-Contest] Precedence?

[Mike Smith VE9AA]

I didn't see this mentioned, so I will weigh in.

First, I always ask "PREC?" but if I am met with deer-in-the-headlights (or
dead silence)

my #1 go-to question (especially if they are not too strong) is always "A?"
followed by "B?".my distant third is "PWR?"

 

I always do a bit of guesstimating..if they are in the mud, I may ask
"Q?".If they are 40/9; then "B?"

 

I'd say more than 50% of the time that "A" wins however.  I forget where I
read the stats (maybe on 3830scores? an ARRL site?I dunno) but a few more
people use A than B, then U, and then there is a distant,Q,M,S (I forget the
exact order of it all)

 

The way I figured this was there are likely to be way more 'casual'
participants using just the exciter @ 100w (A) who are not serious
contesters.(some of these guys will never submit a log, thus the A #'s are
probably even higher than the stats I read somewhere reveal.

 

  A few more may be casual and have amps (B). The "U" guys more than likely
are familiar with the rules and will know right off what "PREC?" means.
There are not too likely to be many of the others that are casual..of course
there are always exceptions.

 

Mike VE9AA "NB"

 

Mike, Coreen & Corey

Keswick Ridge, NB