[Elecraft] Shortened figures

[David A. Belsley]

Well, N clearly does not apply to the 5, which is therefore assumed, as 
would be the second N, since nothing different was attempted to be 
conveyed.  It's clearly a matter of convention, and, as such, can be 
anything you want.  You could make the convention that E stands for 
599.  Or, you could make the convention that the absence of a report at 
all indicates 599.  Since everyone sends 599 no matter what the signal 
is really like, it seems to me that the absence of a report is the most 
meaningful "exchange," and certainly the easiest to send.  Another way 
of looking at it is: if people aren't going to take the trouble to send 
a meaningful report, why send anything at all? why even have it as part 
of the exchange?

The idea of contests was originally to sharpen one's skills under more 
pressured conditions such as emergencies.  I realize that the 
testosterone of many contesters is aroused simply by the contest, and 
the idea of sharpening emergency skills is the last thing on their mind 
-- like many modern hunters who hunt for the love of the chase and the 
kill, not for the food.  However, there is no sharpening of skills that 
attaches to passing empty information that needn't even really be sent 
or received since its content is assumed rather than really 
communicated.  I've seen contest logs where the operator has, during an 
idle moment, simply run ahead and filled in the 599s in the entries for 
as-yet-to-be-had qsos.

best wishes,

dave belsley, w1euy


On Dec 6, 2004, at 11:50 AM, crmabbott at comcast.net wrote:

> If a contest is going to use the 'cut' system it probably would not 
> hurt to document that on the web page, QST or where ever they 
> advertise it.  That would help out the folks not familiar with the 
> procedure to recognise what they are hearing. 
>   
> The problem I have with only 'N' is which does it apply to and the 
> first ones range is 1 to 5 not 1 to 9.  The remaining two are 1 to 9, 
> the ENN is about as short as you can get it and still make sense. 
>   
> On the otherhand since everyone is always a 599 regardless, why not 
> leave it out completely?  8^)
> --
> 73 Chuck AA8VS
>
> -- William Arthur Ward 
>  
> -------------- Original message --------------
>
> > Why even send as much as ENN. Why not just send N? You can get used
>  > to that just as quickly.
>  >
> > best wishes,
>  >
> > dave belsley, w1euy
>  >
> >
> >
> > On Dec 6, 2004, at 11:16 AM, R. Meilstrup wrote:
>  >
> > > For the first time I recently heard - in a major contest - CW 
> stations
>  > > sending ENN instead of 599. It takes a while to get used to!!
>  > > Rick, OZ5RM
>  > >
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