|
| Back in the day when most hams used crystal controlled transmitters,
| and would tune 10-25 kHz either side of their CQ looking for answers,
| the practice of answering a CQ with W5TVW W5TVW W5TVW DE AA4LR AA4LR
| AA4LR AR made sense.
|
| However, these days, operating zero-beat on a single frequency, the
| long call is just a waste of time. You call CQ DE W5TVW K. I'll
| answer AA4LR on the same frequency. Where's the confusion?
|
Perhaps no confusion to you, the sending operator, but a possible bit
of confusion to the operator who called CQ!
Firstly, let's assume you have imperfect propagation conditions: fading,
static,
whatever. You might miss my call or get it confused if I sent it just once.
I am not privy to local man made noise, static generated by local storms,
or other conditions at your location. Why not call at least a 2 X 2 format at
least if you want to shorten things? Anything else might likely lead to asking
you to repeat your callsign, which takes up even more time?
Just a one time sent callsign IS bad operating practice and operating manners.
I would compare it to saying your name once to a crowd of people standing on
the corner! Who, sir are you addressing? If the people around me were
talking to each other, I may have to hear it two or three times to get
it right. I might have a slight case of deafness. All good reasons to AT LEAST
send my callsign once and repeat your callsign twice. i.e.: W5TVW DE W4ABC
W4ABC K.
| In contest operation, we'll dispense with the DE and K altogether.
| Millions of contest CW contacts are made this way each year, without
| sending both calls.
|
Contest conditions are usually frantic, crowded and many times plain RUDE.
It is kinda like a cat fight with thousands of cats involved. Even in contest
conditions, there are times for repitition. A typical example is "my kind of
contest: a QRP event". Such things as sections/states and unique member
numbers are exchanged. In the peak of the QRM/QSB I usually always
send State and my number TWICE. This makes things perhaps run a few
seconds longer, but it makes the exchange much smoother, especially if
you are trying to operate a key and the rig with one hand and a
logging program keyboard with the other hand. Otherwise, you
have to ask for a repeat which wastes more time.
Abbreviated operating techniques are the norm in a free-for-all,pushing, shoving
contest. I am always amused by the guy who is sending everything at 50 WPM
thinking he will get a higher QSO count by doing so! Not everyone can do
that speed with consistant accuracy.
| The old "Novice Accent" advice was to do 3x3x3 - CQ CQ CQ DE W1ABC
| W1ABC W1ABC repeated three times. Again, that was with a lot of guys
| still rock-bound. These days, a single 3x3 with a few seconds of
| listening seems more appropriate.
|
I agree LOOOOOONG CQ calls or doing a 3 X 3 format three times
IS...repeat IS a waste of time and "overkill". Do the 3 X 3 and wait
15-60 seconds and repeat the call. We still have a few people who
have "vintage" transmitters that are crystal controlled, but sadly
very few people who "tune around", even a couple of kHz. with
the RIT control.
Anyway, the sum of it is, nobody seems like they are teaching ANY
really good operating practices anymore. ARRL has dropped the section
from the "Handbook". They either don't give a damn, or they want to
sell you an additional book to cover that subject!
Having not taught a "ham class" for many, many years, I don't know
what is being skipped over these days. I do remember there were
some "Tech" class operator prospects that wanted to rush out and
buy a 2 meter HT to work their buddies on the local repeater and
not be bothered with any "protocols". Kinda like a budding journalist
whose English grammar was terrible and he wanted to become the writer
of a serious column, but didn't want to brushup on his English usage!
73,
Sandy, W5TVW
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