[RTTY] Dashes in Contest Reports

[Bill, W6WRT]

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:

On Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:59:46 -0600, Peter Laws <plaws0 at gmail.com>
wrote:

>
>599 123-123  -- no USOS, so no extra shift.  Probably ought to have a
>dash after the superfluous-yet-mandatory-in-most-'tests RST as well.

REPLY:

Here is the problem with using the above style. First, is you have
USOS on, as it should be, after the 599, USOS will return the RX to
LTRS shift. If the signal is weak, the following LTRS shift may be
lost and the receiving station will print 599 QWE-QWE. I am sure you
have all seen this many, many times. Without the dash, and with the
same FIGS shift lost, the receiving station will print 599 QWE 123.

Now I ask you, if you are the receiving station, which would you
rather see on your screen:  599 QWE-QWE or 599 QWE 123?

Be gone, accursed dash!    :-)

73, Bill W6WRT