[RTTY] Two NA Sprint Questions

[Ed Muns]

Regarding 'CQ' at the end of the Sprint S&P Exchange message, W0MU writes:
> I am on board.  I don't think I had the CQ at the end of my 
> message.  I tried to look but I forgot to save my key file in 
> N1MM and what I was using is gone.

Well, I'll confess that I've had the 'CQ' at the end of my S&P Exchange
message for the last few Sprints and I don't know what I was thinking.
Clearly, I wasn't thinking.  I've been doing CW and SSB Sprints for decades
and should know better.  I lulled myself into following the RTTY practice
from other messages of putting the 'CQ' at the end but overlooked the fact
that the Sprint S&P Exchange message is not the end of the QSO.  Despite
this error, it has worked reasonably well on RTTY because in the past few
stations have been quick on the uptake.  I almost always heard enough of the
'TU' or 'QSL' or 'QSY' to be certain the other station had my exchange.
However, now that RTTY contest QSOs are clickin' along like CW, we need to
be careful about old RTTY practices.

> I would also like to ask that stations please only send the 
> exchange information once.
> 
> I can understand the number maybe twice but not the whole exchange.
> 
> I was QRP 5 watts and I sent my exchange once.  On 80 I had 
> to send a few more repeats but overall I was not asked for many fills.

This is a good testimonial for reasonably short exchanges.  Like other
things in contesting, though, "it depends" on the particular situation.  If
I sense that the other station is not copying me well, I may repeat the
exchange just to give the added assurance of clear copy.  Also, this is more
important the first time you work a station in the Sprint because subsequent
QSOs usually have the prior (stable) exchange info come up in the logger.

Ed - W0YK