[RTTY] Contest questions, again...

[Charles Morrison]

Being a relative newbie to RTTY contesting by myself (first in 2002), I know
this has been discussed in detail, but I'd like a clear cut, decisive answer
to a few simple questions:

Do Duplicates in your log hurt YOUR score?

As I read it, you'd be penalized only for "excessive" duplicates.

Paolo, what is an excessive amount?

I remembered to keep a notepad handy for the contest to write down things so
I can remember after the contest.  I had 2 instances of "worked B4" and 2
times that I realized that I was going to be a dupe and apologized to the
other operator (Thanks Darrel K9MUG!)  The "worked B4" I mention really
angered me because of its senselessness (is that a word?).  When first class
operators (AA5AU) and EVERYONE else on the reflector tell me to simply
re-work dupes, I follow!

The first "worked B4" was 4A7L on 20M.  If the answer to the above questions
are what I think they are, that duplicates do NOT hurt your score, would
someone please point this out to Luis?  After spending about 5 minutes
discussing this with him on the air to no avail, I see a few possible
results:

Unless he worked Roland, NA5Q or the other two or three fellas in north
Louisiana (I think), he missed La. as a mult on 20M.  Instead of simply
taking 30 seconds to work me again, he argued for 5 minutes (his loss of 3
qso's), insisted that I put him in my log at the time he insists we worked
(I didn't, his loss of another qso), and wasted my time (my fault, my missed
3 qso's).  When something is so easy to understand, I cant make sense of
someone being so obstinate about it.  If fear of penalty is the reasoning,
then there's a guarantee, if you're unsure about whether or not a duplicate
counts against you, take your chances and work it, because without the qso,
you're GUARANTEED to get the NIL (no qso and possibly a penalty loss).  In
the time it takes to argue about it, you could have made up any lost qso's
and penalties by working everyone else!

He's not in my log.  So if he submits the qso, then he will definitely get
the NIL and associated (if any) penalties.  All because he absolutely,
positively, refused to work me again.  Hell, I bet I've got a few in the log
that are dupes MORE then once.  I had a station work me and then come back
and dupe less the 10 minutes later while I was in a run.  Its easier to just
simply work them again and move on!

Charlie
KI5XP