[PaQSO] newbie with questions

[Mark K3MSB]

mkempisty at comcast.net wrote:

"Back in the good ol days when men were men and logging was done with
pencil and paper, duplicate contacts were more common."

Dino mode enabled....

I started contesting in 1973.  Back then US call signs started with K, 
W, WA and maybe WB.   Using the ARRL Dupe sheet, one entered only the 
suffix annotated by a graphic symbol (hand drawn) to indicate the 
prefix.  For example,  a "naked" suffix would indicate a K prefix.  An 
underscored suffix would indicate a W prefix;  circled suffix a WA 
prefix, and a suffix with a square around it a WB prefix. 

The ARRL dupe sheet would work for causal DX contests.  I typically 
didn't bother with prefixes on the dupe sheet as odds were you wouldn't 
work two DX stations with the same suffix.  If one did,  I just noted it 
on a separate piece of paper and worried about it later (I think..... 
been a while).    You usually didn't have to worry about working 
stations such as DL1A,  TM1A,  UA1A etc.   Zippy contest calls were very 
rare back then.

The last DX contest that I used paper logging was 1989,  and I ended up 
with 990 (or so) QSO's afer duping.  I think I had around 1005 before 
dupping.      I went multi op with a buddy, and we had quite a few 
sheets stapled together in alphabetical order for dupping.     Sheets  
that covered prefixes  with a low probability of working had less  space 
on a page whereas the sheet for  G stations (England) had an entire 
page.   The "G" page was then  broken down in  10 sections for G0 
through G9.

Ah yes....... the good old days!!!    I still have my plastic Oscar 
Satellite locater in my attic.   Two plastic overlay sheets you thumb 
tacked onto several sheets of paper;   one moved in relation to the 
other for satellite tracking.

Dino mode off....

Dang whipper snappers......computer logging,  computer keying!!  Heck, 
we even have transceivers today..... now that's a wundermint.......  why 
back in the good old days...........

Hope you all enjoy the PA QSO party this year.

73 Mark K3MSB (AD3PA Contest Team)