[RTTY] dupes

[Ian White GM3SEK]

Tom Osborne wrote:
>Hi Mike
>
>Yes, there is a feature in N1MM Logger, 'work dupes', that just lets you go
>ahead and work the dupes.  It just doesn't make any sense to hold up
>everything to try and look up when the Q was supposed to happen, or what the
>exchange was.  You can work another station or 2 while you are trying to
>figure out why it is a dupe.
>
>There is no penalty for working a dupe as long as it is marked in the log.
>
If a contest organizer solicits entries in a Cabrillo format, there 
should be no penalty for working dupes - period!

Cabrillo log formats are part of a larger 'package deal' that includes 
re-scoring of all contacts when the logs are checked. The Cabrillo 
concept specifically excludes the need to claim a score (or zero score) 
for each individual QSO, and the Cabrillo log format never allows you to 
do so. The only place where you can claim a score is in a header field, 
which is ignored when the log is checked.

The other part of that package deal is that there shall be no penalty 
for dupes in the log. Unfortunately, some contest rules have still not 
caught up  with this.

>Just work 'em and go on.
>
Yup... up to a point.

Almost everyone is using computer logging that warns against dupes, so 
if you are called by an apparent dupe, it makes sense to assume that the 
operator has a good reason. Most likely his log is not showing the 
previous QSO as valid - in which case there can be no argument: you 
genuinely do need to work him. The scoring robot will sort this out with 
no penalty.

This rarely happens more than once per station... except perhaps on 
Sunday afternoons, when it's not uncommon to be called several times 
over by operators who are typing manually, and appear to be sleeping off 
an excellent lunch in front of the keyboard! At some point, you feel the 
need for a macro that says WARNING: DO NOT MAKE ME SEND THIS MESSAGE 
AGAIN.


-- 

73 from Ian GM3SEK
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek