Contests where no RS(T) exchanged - logged? New to this

Well, 57 yrs a ham but off air for 40 years..

I note some contests like QCWA in March do not use RS exchange (I only do SSB so no T). So with these new logs vs the old manual way can you even enter in log. Use both LOTW and N3FJP, I thought had to have a signal RS exchange to be a contact to log? Or is everyone 59

Thanks

 

Some contests don't require a signal report, most notably ARRL Sweepstakes and NAQP. Then there's the one you mentioned. I'm sure that there are others. Requirements vary and it is not totally necessary to have the signal report to have a "valid" contact. Most contest logging programs only record the data necessary for the contact. If it bothers you, then by all means insert a signal report into your records. The default is 5x9 anyway for most contests.

 

There is an urban myth that a Q isn't a Q unless signal reports are exchanged.

SOME contests include signal report as part of the exchange, and for those particular contests, it's needed.

But many contests do not include a signal report, and it should not be included because all it does is waste time and confuse the other operator.

For example, none of the following contests include signal report:

ARRL SS
ARRL Field Day
NAQP
CWops CWT
CWops CWOpen

that's just from memory.

LOTW doesn't need a report. N3FJP and N1MM only include fields for the required exchange.

 

The arrl and cq vhf contests are grid exchanges only. If you are getting into contesting, what ever you do, don't send a 73 in an rtty contest! They know where you live and will hunt you down!

 

Thanks for all the clear answers