[SCCC] Help with new style cut numbers

[w6um at aol.com]

Kurt, et al

Good to hear from another about the genesis of alternate ways to send cw versions of numbers for power in ARRL DX contests. When we all used bugs, a long dash for zero was SOP. Wonderful memories of KH6IJ sending those three Os to represent a KW.

Originally both DX and Ws could send any 3-digit number of their choice after the RST. It became difficult to explain this during the contest to DX ops who may have had some difficulty understanding our language, so the League changed the rules so that all we had to do was ask for their power. At first we Ws also sent our power, which made it easier for "non-combatants" to use this as an example to give us a valid contest exchange.

The first year this rule was established I heard someone, of course it must have been a W6, explain the rules to a DX station not in the contest and say "Therefore my number to you is '599 000'". The DX station came back and said "But that means you are running zero power; I do not understand how that is possible."

Not as hard to understand as "rr" for power. 

73,
Chas., W6UM



-----Original Message-----
From: W6PH via SCCC <sccc at contesting.com>
To: cowchip <cowchip at ca.rr.com>; sccc <sccc at contesting.com>
Sent: Mon, Feb 20, 2017 7:34 am
Subject: Re: [SCCC] Help with new style cut numbers

I'm not sure about the RR.  The TTT is short for three zeros.   For those 
of us who have been around the block a few times, we will remember  when 
there were real 579 reports followed by three digits for the power.   There were 
very few people with KW's back then (1000 watt input).  KH6IJ  always sent 
three zeros for his power.
 
Historically the "cut" number for zero is not the letter T but a long  
dash.  The first time I recall someone using N for 9 was CR6AI in a contest  
back in the early 60's.  Common usage came much later. The first time  that I 
recall a station sending 599 to all stations was VP1JH in British  Honduras 
(now Belize) operated by Bob Denniston (W0NWX and VP2VA later) using a  
rotary disk (like a 78 record) with cuts in the edge to operate a microswitch as 
 a "memory keyer".  This was back in the 60's as well.
 
The dit for five, A for one, etc are fairly recent in the last five  years 
or so.  Personally I am not a fan of the cut numbers other than N for  9 and 
a long dash for zero.
 
I was able to program a prolonged dash for zero in my exchange this weekend 
 with Win-Test by putting three minus signs before the TT in the macro  
(5NN1---TT+++) when sending 5nn1tt.
 
Kind of a Paul Harvey "rest of the story".  Comments about the  accuracy 
are welcome.
 
73, Kurt W6PH  aka VP9/W6PH
 
 
 
In a message dated 2/18/2017 2:04:34 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
cowchip at ca.rr.com writes:

OK.  I guess I am still learning new things after 20 plus  years of 
contesting.


what is meant when the station sends t t t  (dah, dah, dah) 100?

also, r r ( dit dah dit, dit dah dit)  199?

Help.




-- 
Don  Minkoff
NK6A

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