[WriteLog] Cut numbers

Fri Oct 29 03:50:29 EDT 2004

Ed

Your enquiring mind will carry you through.  I've been contesting for more
than 35 years and still find new things to learn.  BTW after 35 years I'm
still a relative newcomer.

I remember facing the same frustration and over the exact same issue, back
in the sixties.  I was floored by cut number exchanges just as you've been.
It took a while and a few enquiries to get to the bottom of the matter.

N as a cut for 9 is pretty much universal.  Just about everyone sends 5NN
not 599
T as a cut for zero is also very widely used.  The next most common is A for
1 but far fewer folks use that.  Even less frequently used is E for 5.  The
remaining cut numbers are rarely used and will likely cause serious
confusion even among experienced contesters.  If you learn N, T & A you will
have 99.99% of exchanges well in hand.

Maybe I'm mistaken but I thought you were able to enter received cuts
directly into Writelog and have them translated there. Or maybe that's a
feature that was once there but has disappeared?  I've always done cut
number translation in my head so that's not a feature I've relied on.

Cut numbers are frustrating at first but have significant benefits.  In a
serial numbered exchange the use of cuts for 9 & 0 can easily reduce
exchange time by 10%.  In a 48 hour contest that can free up almost 5 hours
in which to make more contacts!

Welcome to contesting Ed but be careful, you might get hooked!

73

Bob

Bob Henderson, 5B4AGN, P3F
Giolou, Pafos, Cyprus
Email: bob at cytanet.com.cy
http://www.5b4agn.net
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "M. Edward Wilborne III" <wilborne at mew3.com>
Cc: <writelog at contesting.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 11:06 PM
Subject: Re: [WriteLog] Cut numbers

> Personally, I have no problem learning new things and enjoy that aspect of
> the hobby.  However, until you know what "cut numbers" are, which is
itself
> jargon for CW abbreviation, contesting is difficult when you're expecting
a
> number and get letters in their place.  And having just got started in
> contesting, and read all of the rules about whatever contest I've been
> doing, its surprising when you can't figure out why the exchange isn't
what
> is documented in the rules, which was one of my points earlier.  I didn't
> even realize what cut numbers were until the ARCI contest when I finally
got
> to the point I started searching the Internet for possible meanings, and
> then I didn't even know they were called cut numbers until this message
> thread today.
>
> It would be cool if you could enter the cut number into the numeric field
of
> WriteLog and have it automatically translated to the numeric equivalent.
If
> WriteLog did this, then when I entered 15T3 into it, I would have
instantly
> known that 15T3 is synonymous with 1503.
>
> In this particular case I forget what I actually entered as the number in
my
> log, since it wouldn't take letters, and I'm sure at this point, I have
the
> wrong thing there, and I'm not sure I can ever find it again.  Plus, I
> didn't want to tie up the contest operator by asking "what do you mean
> 15T3?"...  Now that I think of it, I think I just deleted the QSO as
> invalid.
>
> While we're on the subject of cut numbers, why don't we (i.e. ham
hobbyists)
> start some new shortcuts for 2, 3 and 4, like    I, S, and H ???  If
you're
> expecting a number and get a letter, its easily translated, once you know
> the translation.
>
> The other point I was making is, if you're a newcomer in the contest
arena,
> and are trying to "get involved" and all of a sudden you don't understand
> what is going on, i.e. cut numbers, and they aren't documented in the
> contest rules, it can be discouraging.  I didn't say anything about
becoming
> an instant expert on it.  I'm just trying to have fun.  But not even
> understanding the simplest exchange, i.e. why does my number have letters
in
> it, is discouraging, and frustrating.  Fortunately, with the ARCI contest,
> and this list, I have finally learned what has been going on in my CW
> exchanges for the past 5 months.
>
> About time I got it!
>
> Thanks & 73
> Ed - AD4AX
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Bob Henderson" <bob at cytanet.com.cy>
> To: "M. Edward Wilborne III" <wilborne at mew3.com>
> Cc: <writelog at contesting.com>
> Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 6:07 PM
> Subject: Re: [WriteLog] Cut numbers
>
>
> > I'll be blunt!
> >
> > Why do folks think ham radio should be so shallow that they can walk
> through
> > the door and be experts?
> >
> > Anything in life that provokes enduring fascinatation and interest, does
> so
> > because it can't be fully understood and mastered in five minutes.
> >
> > Cut numbers have been in common use in amateur and professional radio
for
> > more than fifty years and for good reason.
> >
> > Let's face it; if we understood everything about anything before we
> engaged
> > it, then it would likely become intensely boring almost immediately.
> >
> > Enjoy learning!
> >
> > Bob
> >
> > Bob Henderson, 5B4AGN, P3F
> > Giolou, Pafos, Cyprus
> > Email: bob at cytanet.com.cy
> > http://www.5b4agn.net
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "M. Edward Wilborne III" <wilborne at mew3.com>
> > Cc: <writelog at contesting.com>
> > Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 8:45 PM
> > Subject: Re: [WriteLog] Cut numbers
> >
> >
> > > Well someone replied to me saying that using "A" for "1" which is
> > evidently
> > > a standard shortcut (as seen below) is probably a bad idea...:
> > >
> > > http://www.qsl.net/w3df/cwabbrev.html
> > >
> > > I think they're all bad ideas...
> > >
> > > Imagine my surprise after starting contesting for the very first time
> and
> > > after 4 or 5 contests finally learning that T was zero?
> > >
> > > Quite frustrating.  No where in any of the "contesting rules" did it
say
> > > "cut numbers" may be used for serial numbers, or signal reports.  I
> > suspect
> > > if it did, it should also define what they are.
> > >
> > > CW shortcuts are fine for people who've been doing it all their life,
> but
> > it
> > > is discouraging to newcomers when they can't make heads or tales out
of
> > the
> > > serial number they just received for example, 15T3.  You send a "?"
and
> > get
> > > back 15T3 again.  I guess I should read that "contesting for dummies"
> > > website/book.  ;)
> > >
> > > On the other hand, if you get an "A" from me in your serial number, or
> > other
> > > numeric exchange, assume its a "1" (see the link above).
> > >
> > > 73 - Ed - AD4AX
> > > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > > From: "M. Edward Wilborne III" <wilborne at mew3.com>
> > > Cc: <writelog at contesting.com>
> > > Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 1:46 PM
> > > Subject: Re: [WriteLog] Cut numbers
> > >
> > >
> > > > I read somewhere on a random Internet page you can use the letter
"A"
> > for
> > > > 1... does anyone do that?  (which could come in handy with my FISTS
> > number
> > > > of 11144).
> > > >
> > > > Thanks & 73!
> > > >
> > > > Ed - AD4AX
> > > > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > > > From: "Pawel SP7PS" <pawel at sp7ps.pl>
> > > > To: "Don Melcher" <don at hfradio.com>
> > > > Cc: <writelog at contesting.com>
> > > > Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 1:35 PM
> > > > Subject: Re: [WriteLog] Cut numbers
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > Hi Don,
> > > > > Just make and put the following topic into the "writelog.ini"
file:
> > > > >
> > > > > [Cut-Numbers]
> > > > > 0=t
> > > > > 1=1
> > > > > 2=2
> > > > > 3=3
> > > > > 4=4
> > > > > 5=5
> > > > > 6=6
> > > > > 7=7
> > > > > 8=8
> > > > > 9=n
> > > > >
> > > > > 73's
> > > > > Pawel, SP7PS
> > > > > http://sp7ps.pl
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > "Don Melcher" wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > The help file is rather vague on sending cut numbers. Where and
> what
> > > > > > exactly goes into the .ini file?
> > > > > > Tnx
> > > > > > Don
> > > > > > W6CZ
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > WriteLog mailing list
> > > > > WriteLog at contesting.com
> > > > > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/writelog
> > > > > WriteLog on the web:  http://www.writelog.com/
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > WriteLog mailing list
> > > WriteLog at contesting.com
> > > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/writelog
> > > WriteLog on the web:  http://www.writelog.com/
> > >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > WriteLog at contesting.com
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> >
>
>
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