Reporting on Contest

Hello,

I have question regarding "rules" on contest.

A ham with more experience than me is arguing that reports must be 59(9)+Number.

While I say, why I must give 59 when I'm receiving the transmitter 3 or 5 or 7. I will give the real report, what I read on my S-Meter.

http://www.qsl.net/zs1an/contesting_faq.html#cq-zone

"..Although the rules normally specify that the exchange must include a signal report, no-one actually cares much what the real signal report is. So to simplify things, contesters just send 599 reports even if the signal is barely intelligible. However the number "9" is replaced by the letter "N" because it is faster to send. "Shortened" numbers, like "N" instead of "9" are known as "cut numbers"."

The above, which the other ham directs to me is relevant for CW. Isn't it?

I'm talking about contest on phone and the other ham about cw...

Is it wrong to give the exact report on phone?

Or is this rule only applicable for CW

73's TA2IBY

 

There is somewhat of a de facto agreement to render 59/599 reports in contests simply for the sake of recording and expedience because it reduces conflicting logs in bad QRM/QRN conditions if both parties understand that the value being recorded is 59/599 regardless of whether they had a clear copy. Plus many computer based logging solutions have built in 59 and 599 buttons for inputting these reports values with a single quick click versus having to type in the actual numbers.

That said, it is your report to give and theirs to log. You can choose to go along with convention and issue a 59 or 599 report or you may issue your own "accurate" report, the choice is yours. Just be prepared for some backlash from those who believe a report can only be a 59 or 599.

I'm only just getting started in amateur radio, but the middle ground that I have opted for is to issue accurate reports when the pileup is not overly aggressive (the contest operator is not struggling for control) and when conditions allow for clear communication of my report without it getting buried in QRM/QRN. Otherwise I will go along with convention and issue (an obviously meaningless if everyone is straining to hear) 59 or 599 report for the sake of being kind so that our logs will be in agreement and they do not have to ask me to keep repeating the report when someone decides to rudely shout out their callsign over top of my report (I have not yet gotten into Morse, but I will in time -- I imagine Morse is every bit as confusing if two operators transmit on top of one another on a zero beat).

 

Dear KM4EDA, Ethan,

Thank you for your kind response, which describes for me situation very clearly.

One can be accurate and give the real number and may have confusion at least or follow the mainstream..Even I would like to know how strong or bad my signal is on the other side so I can play around to have a better result. I do not feel comfortable to gevi a number which is not real. But..ok.

Many thanks, clears my path.

Ersoy, TA2IBY

 

page 19 of the ARRL quick start guide:

no mention of actual s-meter readings

RST signal report system

READABILITY

1. Unreadable
2. Barely readable, occasional words distinguishable
3. Readable with considerable difficulty
4. Readable with practically no difficulty
5. perfectly readable

SIGNAL STRENGTH

1. Faint signals barely perceptible
2. Very weak signals
3. Weak signals
4. Fair signals
5. Fairly good signals
6. good signals
7. Moderately strong signals
8. Strong signals
9. Extremely strong signals

TONE(CW AND DIGITAL)

1. Sixty-cycle ac or less, very rough and broad
2. Very rough ac, very harsh and broad
3. Rough ac tone, rectified but not filtered
4. rough note, some trace of filtering
5. Filtered rectified ac but strongly rippled-modulation
6. Filtered tone, definite trace of ripple-modulation
7. Near perfect tone, trace of ripple-modulation
8. Near perfect tone, slight trace of modulation
9. Perfect tone, no trace of ripple or modulation of any kind

 

I had a guy go ape s**t on me for giving him a 579 in CQWW. Got a bunch of nasty emails from the guy. Needless to say, that has somewhat turned me off to contests though I do S&P for any new states or entities on certain bands.

I give real signal reports and I don't give f- all who doesn't like that.

 

For me the couple points would not be an issue simply mark his call "NO CONTACT" you had a problem with the 579 contact now you have no problem end of story.

 

That would be somewhat of an annoyance, but not terribly difficult to change on the fly in 'MM.

Regardless, not enough to even warrant thinking about an email - any good contester would have probably forgotten all about it 20 calls later in the pile

 

As someone who participates in several contests I take the position of using the most expedient method of logging the contact. This means sending 59 and the rest of the required exchange, i.e. state or serial number etc. If the other person wants a real signal report and asks for it, then I will give it. But for most contests, the signal reports is almost not necessary and most people, me included just don't care. So, for the most part, the accuracy of the signal report during a contest is a non issue. I don't don't care If you or I are 2 by 2 or 5 x 9 plus 30 over! If we made the appropriate exchange, i.e. call signs and state or serial number or whatever, then the contact is valid. I log it and move on. Taking the time to send and record an accurate signal report for each contact during the contest is just a waste of time, as long as it is not a scoring factor, which for most contests it is not. In fact I can't think of one contest (that I participate in) that needs an accurate signal report, which is why the accepted convention is to just log the 59 or 599 and get to the important stuff. I'm also going to be a little annoyed at those who insist on getting real signal reports and audio reports and antenna tests and also those who just want to rag chew, in the middle of a contest. I do it, but still it can get frustrating when I'm on a roll so to speak. Suffice it to say, if you insist on sending a "real" report during a contest, go ahead, but don't be surprised if the other person's log just says 59 or 599 if the contact was made during the contest.

73 and see you in the next one.
Noel
WS7X

 

^ ^ ^ T H I S ^ ^ ^

The only thing I can add is that the RST system is subjective. What is 59(9) to someone is likely not to someone else, at the same moment in time, using the same equipment, and in the same location.

Until recent years, I never heard of an S-meter reading being used to determine RST. No two different S-meters are calibrated the same. Then, I don't see how one would come up with Readability & Signal strength numbers based on that. One could have a dead-quiet band (very little atmospheric noise). Just about ANY signal is easily copied. One could have a very noisy band, where an S9+30dB signal is hard to copy.

In a contest when someone tries to give me a "true" signal report, rather than bother with changing the default value, I just accept it, hit the ENTER or TAB key in WriteLog, and move on.

vy 73 es gl,
Bryan WA7PRC

 

1 - S-meters aren't calibrated instruments, and how people use preamps, attenuators and RF gain varies, so "RST" reports are utterly subjective.

2 - "RST" exchanges in contests are perfunctory and, as pointed out, not part of the scoring per se.

So it's not "wrong", but it's largely irrelevant (even in casual operation) and could introduce unnecessary complexity in a contesting environment.