[Elecraft] Is CW a Language? OT

[N2TK, Tony]

Why even send the call of the station you are calling, especially if it is a
contest? He knows his(her) call. And in contesting why send QRP, unless the
contest requires it? It just slows things up. The person on the receiving
end is going to pick out the loudest and shortest call first. Also there
seems to be more than one definition of QRP. It would seem what one
considers to be QRP is most important to the person who is running QRP. So
therefore you don't need to send it. When you are on the side calling CQ you
can't tell by signal strength if the station calling you is running full
power, has big antennas, running mobile or QRP. The ionosphere is a big
equalizer depending on the band, time of day, where the signals are coming
from, etc.

There is nothing wrong with being a traditionalist. It just may mean you
don't get through the pileup as soon. And greater chance your call will be
copied incorrectly. One thing that I can't figure out is when someone gives
my call a few times when calling me and sends their call one time. I'm not
sure what that is about.

I do not consider myself a good CW op. I wish I were. But CW is my favorite
mode. So when I operate off shore and several are calling at once I am just
trying to get a few letters out of the mess if the signals aren't strong.
Think how much more confusion is added when you are sending " AA4LR  DE
AA4AK/QRP AR" instead of  "AA4AK".

Steve, it seems you have discovered the best way to get the quickest
response.


73,
N2TK, Tony

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Stephen W. Kercel
Sent: Saturday, April 22, 2006 7:05 PM
To: Bill Coleman; Sandy W5TVW
Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Is CW a Language? OT


     Just how much time does sending a "DE" or a "K" take?

     Not much, but NOT sending them takes less time....
     Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
     Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
                 -- Wilbur Wright, 1901

   Bill and others:
   I am very much a traditionalist on CW operating procedure. However, in
   contesting  I  find  that  a standard formatted call (such as AA4LR DE
   AA4AK  AR,  or  even  worse,  AA4LR  DE AA4AK/QRP AR is ineffective in
   attracting  replies.  Typically, the rate conscious big gun contesters
   hearing  several  calls  at  once  instinctively  answer the call that
   finishes first.
   To  test  this notion, I've tried various combinations of standard and
   abbreviated  call  formats in contests. When I send a single unadorned
   AA4AK and nothing else, the rate at which I receive replies in contest
   goes up dramatically.
   73,
   Steve
   AA4AK
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