[CW] AR or K after CQ?

[Ron Zond]

Don

In my 49 years of CW, it always seemed to be either\or and didn't matter.
AR usually means end of message, or in traffic, end of traffic, with various
suffixes to indicate more traffic or end of traffic, When I send CQ, I end
with
AR K. I still get replies.

Ron
K3MIY

-----Original Message-----
From: cw-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:cw-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On
Behalf Of D. Chester
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 5:32 PM
To: cw at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [CW] AR or K after CQ?


I got into what turned into a heated debate recently over the use of AR
following a CQ.

The other person said you should never send anything but K after a CQ, and
that it is poor operating to use AR.

Isn't AR supposed to mean that you have made a call, and you are standing
by, listening for a station you have not yet made contact with? For example,
if I had a sked with W9XXX and gave him a call, I would send W9XXX W9XXX de
K4KYV AR. Once I hear his reply and we have established contact, I would
then send W9XXX de K4KYV K (or KN).

When I call CQ and stand by to listen, by definition, no contact has yet
been established with the station I eventually contact. So wouldn't the
appropriate prosign be AR? To me, K implies that we have established contact
and I am telling him to "go ahead".

I looked this up in some of my old books both ARRL and non-ARRL.  Some of
the more recent editions seem to prefer K, but Handy's first edition of the
ARRL handbook from the late 20's used ._._. (AR).

I say it is a matter of preference.  Who would be the "authority" in such a
matter?  I have heard it both ways in all the 50  years I have been
licensed.  To me, AR has a more pleasant swing for ending a CQ, and it seems
to better round out the transmission.  K seems too abrupt.  I have never had
a problem getting someone to answer my CQ after sending AR.


Don k4kyv
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