[UK-CONTEST] Contest exchange stuff

[Ian Fugler G4IIY]

I was loathe to enter this debate and have, like others, held back.

To me, there are two considerations here: everybody in life is on a learning 
curve; and, at least in my walk of life, we are encouraged to embrace 
diversity.

I can remember spending years listening to the bands before even taking the 
RAE (still at a tender age) and getting on the air.  By then I knew the 
exchange for a 'standard' QSO (RST, name, QTH, rig, ant wx, QSL via the 
buro...), ragchew on a local 80m Sunday morning net and a high rate contest. 
But it took a few years to determine what the standard, accepted format was 
for all of those, given that there were so many variations.  I remember 
listening to an 80m net every Saturday/Sunday where the G2 net controller 
insisted on reversing the normal(?) callsign order in between 'overs'.  He 
was also my CW mentor and someone for whom I had the greatest admiration. 
But I realised that his sequence for callsign exchange did not fit with the 
norm and I never copied it.

What's the point then?  Well, if we accept that some of those on the 80m 
Club Championship nights are less hardened in the contest arena, if my 
experience is repeated, they will learn by listening to others on the night 
and from feedback after the event.  Many will adjust their technique. 
Others, deliberately and understandably, deviate from the 'norm'.  They do 
so either occasionally, for instance, where there might be some doubt about 
who they are calling, or consistently because they choose to be different. 
I have been in frequency fights and welcomed confirmation that x is calling 
me.  To me it's about participating, listening and learning - the idea for a 
RadCom article is good, and, encouraging less experienced operators on to 
the contests, giving them some considered and appropriate mentoring after 
the event is great.

I think, from reviewing all the posts, that none of us is far apart on this. 
We all want to encourage new people on to the Club Championship contests, 
give feedback that encourages them to participate again and, perhaps, give 
some tips about operating techniques that could ultimately be helpful to 
improve rates/scores.

I'm off to give away a few more points in the UBA contest now!

Ian G4IIY