[Boatanchors] Why The Letter

[Richard W. Solomon]

I believe the "Contact" call was originally used on a "DX" Net that
used to inhabit 20 Meters. Not sure if it was the 225 or 247 crowd.

73, Dick, W1KSZ

-----Original Message-----
>From: Jim Wilhite <w5jo at brightok.net>
>Sent: Apr 29, 2008 12:39 PM
>To: 
>Cc: boatanchors at mailman.qth.net
>Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] Why The Letter "Q" And Who Invented The Code?
>
>Back when I licensed Break was the proper way to enter into an ongoing 
>QSO.  Contact was used when you heard a station in a net of some sort 
>and you wanted to pass information that only applied to that station.
>
>No one uses Break much anymore because of the CB lingo but I still hear 
>Contact from time to time.
>
>Jim/W5JO
>
>>
>
>> From: "Duane Fischer, W8DBF"
>>
>>
>>> Hi Jim,
>>>
>>> Which raises another somewhat related question.
>>>
>>> Suppose a QSO between two or more Hams is in progress. Suppose a new
>> arrival
>>> on the frequency wants to get a station signal/audio report. How is 
>>> he/she
>>> supposed to make contact? Does he/she say "Contact", or "Break", just 
>>> give
>>> his/her call sign or?
>>>
>>> Some say that "Contact" is only used when the new party desires to 
>>> make
>>> contact with a specific station among those having the ongoing QSO. 
>>> Others
>>> say that "Break" is a Citizens Band term, which is true, and is not 
>>> to be
>>> used on Ham Radio. Not that it is illegal, just not proper Ham
>> termonology.
>>> Then others say it is proper to simply give your call sign over the 
>>> air
>> and
>>> wait to be called by one of the stations having the QSO.
>>>
>>> So Jim, or whomever, what is the proper way to ask for a station 
>>> signal
>>> quality check when one encounters a QSO in progress among two or more
>> Hams?
>>>
>>> Additionally, does the means differ if said QSO in progress is a
>> structured
>>> Net?
>>>
>>> Thanks guys!
>
>_______________________________________________