[UK-CONTEST] RST - who needs it?

[Dave Sergeant]

On 18 Mar 2005 at 13:55, Paul O'Kane wrote:

> G3SJJ:
> > I continually review how I can improve and cutting out irrelevant
> > information means I can spend more time making more contacts... 
> 
> G0WMW:
> > Sending "5C" instead of "5NN", and "X" instead of "TU" will help a
> > bit!  ;-)
> 
> We can go further!  Now that ENN is heard more frequently in the
> major contests, why not abbreviate that to AR (didahdidahdit).  But
> even that's a bit long-winded for something that never changes and has
> no meaning - so just send R (didahdit).  That covers all bases, R for
> Roger, and R for standard RST (599) - and you know that the "important
> bit" of the exchange is coming next.

There has been much discussion on this subject. I cannot say I agree 
with Paul's suggestion.

As has already been suggested, the use of RST does offer some sort of 
exchange marker - if you don't start the over with a callsign in a 
reply (as the other discussion) there will be nothing other than a 
possible TU to get the mind into gear. In fact with contests which do 
not require an RST to be sent (Stew Perry for instance) I find it 
virtually impossible not to send an instinctive 5NN! And if you use 
some of your contest QSOs towards awards, the exchange of RST is 
usually considered a requirement for that purpose (whether it is a 
realistic report or not!).

Shortening the 5NN to ENN or less is certainly even more debatable. 
To the serious contester it probably causes fewer problems, but to 
the casual contester who is not aware of the practice (and after all 
it is very rare even today) it just causes confusion and delays. 
Better to stick with a practice which is familiar - and that applies 
to the use of other shortened numbers in serial numbers, other than N 
and T.

Whether you actually gain any speed advantage in shortening the RST 
or omitting it entirely is very questionable. 5NN takes very little 
time to send and if it removes one area of uncertainty and 
concentrates the mind in copying the serial or other exchange 
correctly it should, in my view, be retained.

It also depends very much on the type of contest. In CC and CQWW 
where the exchange rate is high, every extra dot sent may count. This 
week I have also been taking part in the Yeovil Fun Run contest on 
40/80 which is a far more leisurely affair with around 30 QSOs in a 2 
hour event - and a modicum of genuine RSTs!. You can afford to add 
niceties like 'cul 80m', 'tnx for all the qsos' because you know you 
are not going be losing out in position because of it. In fact, I 
tend to prefer these leisurely events to the high QSO rate events 
like the CC.

As for SSB/CW, all I can say is that at the moment I am a CW operator 
(and if fact have no HF SSB capability). I enjoy CW and although I 
have operated SSB in the past it never has had the same attraction to 
me personally. And of course trying to listen to CW on 160m and 40m 
during SSB contests reinforces my dislike of that mode...

73 Dave G3YMC

http://www.davesergeant.com