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

[Alan M. Eshleman]

Contesters come in all varieties and abilities.  One size does not fit all.  It behooves us as contesters to be flexible and adapt to what other operators are doing so long as they are not breaking any laws or being destructive.  Those who are destined to become good contest operators will in time become better and refine their techniques without needing any laws-of-conformity to be passed.  My first priority when working someone in a contest is not to critique their technique, but rather to get their call in the log.  I'm grateful to the NCCC for awarding me their CW Operating Excellence award way in 2014 and to my friends for including me in a few DXpeditions where I learned about handling high rates and improvising.  

I am a different operator at age 76 than I was when I started as a novice 64 years ago. I believe my technique is good and my goals are (1) to allow space for others and (2) to have fun.  If it were not for the newcomers with their long CQs or "tests" or other deficiencies in technique there would be fewer stations for all of us to work.  

73, Alan. K6SRZ      
----- Original Message -----
From: Jack Brindle via CQ-Contest <cq-contest at contesting.com>
To: cq-contest <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Mon, 01 Jun 2020 10:23:20 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] "Test" At End of CQ

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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