Ham Talk Live! Episode 129 - What's Up with Please Copy?

OMG, Who cares what people say on there radio as long as they are nice to talk to. That is all that I care about. And who are you to judge what others say? If you don't like it then don't listen.

Just like I have no interest in listening to your show. It is your cup of tea and that is great but it is not mine.
This thread is nothing more that an advertisement for your personal show.

Please copy not interested, and I agree not even close to being news.

 

Contesters are by and large the least nice most inconsiderate hams out there, at least on the air while exercising their obsessive-compulsive behavior. What does it matter? They are not conversing anyway, they are doing something a machine can do. Why be concerned about adding a human element to the process of obsessively collecting letters & numbers and counting. That's all it is anyway. You don't need to be human and civil to do that.

 

OK, Next time you QSO N0AX, remember to say: Hey, Dude, write this down.....NOW!

Maybe it will make him feel better.

 

I find it interesting that contesters would have an issue with this. Are these the same contesters that over drive their amplifiers, are 20 Khz wide and give their callsign once every 10 minutes so anyone Searching & Pouncing can't work them right away because they don't have a callsign to log?

I guess it's ok to waste every one elses time and drive their scores down but it's not ok to say "Please Copy" because over the course of a 24 hour event they can't log 5-10 extra contacts because of a small phrase. This is one of the most silly things I have ever heard. Using "Please Copy" is just plain and simply being polite.....something we could use a lot more of in Ham Radio....Good Grief!

 

Everybody's got a gripe about *something* regardless how trite and trivial. What's happened to our fraternity? My dad had a saying: "He'd complain if they hanged him with a new rope" - I never thought I'd see the day we hams became like that. Please copy THAT! Sheesh! I mean, you guys have 75 meters sounding like 11 meters in the '70s! 20 meter phone doesn't sound much better .... and you're complaining about THIS? Next thing you're gonna tell me is that ham radio operators have taken a liking to eating Tide Pods or something. Let's be hams fer crying out loud!!! If you want "professional", be a broadcaster! I'm sure Clear Channel will hire you!

 

Mama always said, "Never fall for the agenda from one who refers to themselves in the 3rd person."

COPY THAT Mama!

 

John wants to know what 3rd person means..

 

Copy? Copy is a valid phrase in professional communications. Maybe not Please, except as a nice nice. Lot of terms that pros use might filter over into ham radio use and it might cause eyes to roll or confusion, but maybe not the sign of a bad op if used in the proper context. I have seen plenty of criticism of using Q sigs on phone, which seems valid where plain language might be appropriate. I suppose we could refer to ARRL ops guidelines or contest guidelines, or just listen to grasp what is essential, like some suggest. Some seem to be getting agitated a bit over all this. Let us not descend to the point this thread reads like something from eham site. That site is just nasty alot of the time in the comments or posts.

 

I say it sometimes to facilitate correct identification of my call. Same as saying ‘this is’, it gives the other party a millisecond to prepare to catch your call correctly.

 

Some of the vernacular are habits from message handling and other nets. Having been on the end of a pile-up a time or two and trying to get everybody in the log, I really don't mind how they state it as long as we get the contact logged and it all rolls smoothly. Cutting down on the number of errors makes for a smoother operation. An extra word or two to help clarify is better than repeating and repeating and exasperating the impatient ones. V31YB/K7YB

 

You've obviously never talked to Ward. I don't know how you guys get these funky impressions.

 

"Please copy" is taught on VHF FM repeater traffic nets, where it may serve a purpose, along with (unfortunately IMO) the "Net control", key up check for doubles, key down again blah blah blah.

Contests, simplex, is a different operating style. QSO's rate per unit of time matters. Unneeded excess verbiage may distract or confuse from copying the call sign or exchange info correctly. So those seriously participating would like you to know what you don't say that isn't necessary is as much appreciated as what is simply required.

Especially not more fluff like "Many stations calling, good luck in the contest ... "

 

The phrase "Please Copy" will not damage the interest of new comers to the Amateur Radio HOBBY (not profession) nearly as much as the nit picky snobbery I am reading here.

Grow up a bit boys....

 

Don't take this personally but,............................ MANY contestors seem to often leave out I.D. ing between contacts.

 

Sure, some do, between SOME contacts (not all), when running a deep pileup. The assumption being that the calling stations has the info from listening in on previous calls or QSO's. At stake are usually points for both of them, and logs are carefully cross-checked by contest sponsors, so if there is any question, call signs are confirmed. But when the calling thins and/or ceases, then the savvy run station broadcasts its call sign more often to attract additional callers, trying to keep the rate up.

Of course the advent of the DX Cluster and SDR skimmers has added to this practice because for stations using it call signs are often just picked off a list or bandscope. Of course the danger there is that the info is not current or correct. (Same for using Check Partial call feature in loggers) So serious good search & pounce op's still pay close attention and verify.

Your point is valid and not taken personally, nor am I expressing judgement of right or wrong on the practice. This same limited use of call signs in pileups occurs in non-contest DX pileups too, perhaps even more so. And of course on VHF repeater nets, I rarely hear a full exchange of call signs between a check in and the NCS.