[CW] AR or K after CQ?

[AD5VJ Bob]

Hi Ron

Normally one sends K at the end of a CQ to indicate your listening for any station to reply. Then one should listen for at least the
length of the CQ message given in case of QSB or poor band conditions.

 You can send AR K but it is not necessary to do so. 
You would be saying:
AR 'end of message' (the CQ message)
K 'end of transmission' listening

Nothing really wrong with either or both but given together they are sorta like double talk, which some regard as a waste of
bandwidth and therefore LIDish.

In my humble opinion the one everyone can leave off is the 'PSE' that seems to be gaining in popularity with the automatic sending
applications that are popular. 

It actually began with PSK not CW and to me is a knock off of someone sending with an application rather than a keyer. I normally
dont respond to those, just from my own personal desire to work a station who is working a key. 

Not trying to be elitist here, I just like the sound of human CW, it tells you a lot about the personality you are talking to.

AR is 'end of message' 
SK is 'no reply necessary' 
K is 'end of transmission'
KN is 'end of transmission listening for only station in QSO'

Sent with a ? any of the above are asking a question of the recieving station of the same defining characters.

Doesn't really matter, as long as the CW is pure, which is not consistent it seems these days for the most part on the bands.

Bob AD5VJ

> -----Original Message-----
> From: cw-bounces at mailman.qth.net 
> [mailto:cw-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Ron Zond
> Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 6:56 PM
> To: CW Reflector
> Subject: Re: [CW] AR or K after CQ?
> 
> 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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