[CQ-Contest] "Test" At End of CQ

[Alan M. Eshleman]

Respectively disagree.  For starters, the ARRL operating manual presents "test" as a legitimate option at the end of a CW contest CQ.  

Other variations include (1)ending a CQ with the abbreviated name of the contest, e.g. "CQ K6SRZ WPX" or "CQ K6SRZ SS"] or

[2] Simply ending with "CQ" as, for example, "CQ K6SRZ CQ".  

All three variations allow the listener to correctly identify a station seeking contacts.   

Early ham radio events were often called "tests" which may be where this came from.  It may also be simply a shortened version of "contest".  I'll leave this to the same scholars who continue trying to verify the origin of "ham".

Bottom line for me is that "test" doesn't disturb my rhythm in CW contesting when I hear others using it.  When I am running I drop "test" and just send "TU K6SRZ".

For me, the major rhythm disturbance in WPX CW is the practice of those EU super stations that keep running for minutes at a time without sending their calls.
 
It's a fun hobby.  "TEST" doesn't spoil it for me.  YMMV

73, Alan, K6SRZ

 
----- Original Message -----
From: Jim Brown <k9yc at audiosystemsgroup.com>
To: cq-contest <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Sun, 31 May 2020 20:32:35 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [CQ-Contest] "Test" At End of CQ

I don't know where this practice came from -- perhaps the guys who came 
up with "Please Copy?" Both are time-wasters, and "test" at the end of a 
CQ completely throws off the rhythm of answering a CQ. If you need that 
"test" to tell you it's time to call, you need to go back to contesting 
school!

73, Jim K9YC
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