Hi DJJ --
I appreciated your comments about contesting. See the attached article. I believe that Amateur Radio would be served best if required signal reports were eliminated from all contesting and DXing.
I use Copyability and Strength signal reports routinely, including for net check-ins and for Summits on the Air contacts as either an activator or a chaser. Real non-stereotyped signal reports sometimes can be helpful. I was routinely using my Elecraft KX2
at 12 W on 3563 kHz for the Washington State Net. On April 14 NCS Mark Newbold K7NEW gave me a CS report of 92, while I gave him CS P6. Then this week I fired up my Elecraft K3 running 110 W and I gave him CS P7, and he sent TU QRO. I also check into the CW
British Columbia Emergency Net BCEN on 3652 kHz fairly often. Most NCS operators are in the Lower Mainland, just across the Canada-US border, so QRP works well most of the time. 3652 kHz is an unusual choice for a CW net, since that is in a voice band both
in Canada and the in USA. I live in the border town of Blaine WA.
73,
Bruce Prior N7RR / VA7TO