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

[Jack Brindle]

I have to agree with K9YC on this one, but with qualifications. Contesting is about making great use of your time, doing things as efficiently as possible.
Most of the folks I heard doing this were sending very long CQs, something of the sort: CQ TEST CQ TEST W1AA W1AA TEST. Usually they were sending at maybe 20 wpm. Unless things are very slow (Sunday afternoon), I hear that and I spin the dial.

The sequence that bothered me in WPX was much simpler. CQ WPX W1AA. Why? It first sounded like it might be a WP4 sending CQ, so I entered the WP into the call field, only to have to erase them for the real call. After hearing this a few times I changed my own CQ to send CQ TEST instead. No need to confuse others.

73!
Jack, W6FB


> On Jun 1, 2020, at 8:49 AM, Alan M. Eshleman <doctore at well.com> wrote:
> 
> 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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