Contesters come in all varieties and abilities. One size does not fit all. It
behooves us as contesters to be flexible and adapt to what other operators are
doing so long as they are not breaking any laws or being destructive. Those
who are destined to become good contest operators will in time become better
and refine their techniques without needing any laws-of-conformity to be
passed. My first priority when working someone in a contest is not to critique
their technique, but rather to get their call in the log. I'm grateful to the
NCCC for awarding me their CW Operating Excellence award way in 2014 and to my
friends for including me in a few DXpeditions where I learned about handling
high rates and improvising.
I am a different operator at age 76 than I was when I started as a novice 64
years ago. I believe my technique is good and my goals are (1) to allow space
for others and (2) to have fun. If it were not for the newcomers with their
long CQs or "tests" or other deficiencies in technique there would be fewer
stations for all of us to work.
73, Alan. K6SRZ
----- Original Message -----
From: Jack Brindle via CQ-Contest <cq-contest@contesting.com>
To: cq-contest <cq-contest@contesting.com>
Sent: Mon, 01 Jun 2020 10:23:20 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] "Test" At End of CQ
I have to agree with K9YC on this one, but with qualifications. Contesting is
about making great use of your time, doing things as efficiently as possible.
Most of the folks I heard doing this were sending very long CQs, something of
the sort: CQ TEST CQ TEST W1AA W1AA TEST. Usually they were sending at maybe 20
wpm. Unless things are very slow (Sunday afternoon), I hear that and I spin the
dial.
The sequence that bothered me in WPX was much simpler. CQ WPX W1AA. Why? It
first sounded like it might be a WP4 sending CQ, so I entered the WP into the
call field, only to have to erase them for the real call. After hearing this a
few times I changed my own CQ to send CQ TEST instead. No need to confuse
others.
73!
Jack, W6FB
> On Jun 1, 2020, at 8:49 AM, Alan M. Eshleman <doctore@well.com> wrote:
>
> Respectively disagree. For starters, the ARRL operating manual presents
> "test" as a legitimate option at the end of a CW contest CQ.
>
> Other variations include (1)ending a CQ with the abbreviated name of the
> contest, e.g. "CQ K6SRZ WPX" or "CQ K6SRZ SS"] or
>
> [2] Simply ending with "CQ" as, for example, "CQ K6SRZ CQ".
>
> All three variations allow the listener to correctly identify a station
> seeking contacts.
>
> Early ham radio events were often called "tests" which may be where this came
> from. It may also be simply a shortened version of "contest". I'll leave
> this to the same scholars who continue trying to verify the origin of "ham".
>
> Bottom line for me is that "test" doesn't disturb my rhythm in CW contesting
> when I hear others using it. When I am running I drop "test" and just send
> "TU K6SRZ".
>
> For me, the major rhythm disturbance in WPX CW is the practice of those EU
> super stations that keep running for minutes at a time without sending their
> calls.
>
> It's a fun hobby. "TEST" doesn't spoil it for me. YMMV
>
> 73, Alan, K6SRZ
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Jim Brown <k9yc@audiosystemsgroup.com>
> To: cq-contest <cq-contest@contesting.com>
> Sent: Sun, 31 May 2020 20:32:35 -0700 (PDT)
> Subject: [CQ-Contest] "Test" At End of CQ
>
> I don't know where this practice came from -- perhaps the guys who came
> up with "Please Copy?" Both are time-wasters, and "test" at the end of a
> CQ completely throws off the rhythm of answering a CQ. If you need that
> "test" to tell you it's time to call, you need to go back to contesting
> school!
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
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