serial number?

from the Ohio QSO party thread: "The basic exchange is to send a consecutive serial number and your state".

What is meant by consecutive serial number? Not necessarily literally, I know what consecutive means, but are these numbers each ham randomly selects? If I'm on with someone who wants a serial number, do I just start with "1" or ? Does this also apply to other contests?

 

Ohio QSO exchange

Your first contact with an Ohio station would be 001, your next contact with an Ohio station would be 002, then 003, etc. followed with each number with your state.

Example:

I'm in Georgia so my exchange back to the Ohio station would be:

001 Georgia, next would be 002 Georgia, and then 003 Georgia, and keep progressing up the number line.

Each contest or QSO party is different. So, a consecutive number in the exchange may not apply to another QSO party or contest.

Good luck with Ohio QSO party!

KD4QMY

 

Your first contact in this QSO party is would be "serial number 1", second is 2, etc. plus your state for complete exchange from your side.

 

The same for every contest, start with 0001 and add 1 each contact in that contest.

 

.Start with 001 and increase by one with each new contact.

 

you can start with whatever number you want. your first contact is 29789, your second is 29790, your third is 29791.. or just 001, 002, 003.

 

Good job asking that question, its good to be humble and ask! Thats how I learn stuff too, well we all do right. Now that ya got that maybe ya might wanna check out the wa7bnm contest calendar, you can subscribe too, by email. On the list of contests you will see all the info for each upcoming contest and you will be ahead of the game that way. If you subscribe you get an email from Bruce with the upcoming contests and info a week ahead of time. Another great one is the NG3K announced dxpeditions webpage, lots of great info on upcoming DXpeditions, I will leave the links below. Enjoy
ng3k link:
http://www.his.com/~wfeidt/Misc/adxo.html

wa7bnm link:scroll down a bit for the subscription link.
http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/

 

Starting at 001 and progressing allows the other stations to see how many qso's you have, and lets you keep track as you work the contest. If someone gives you a 149, then you know there were 148 before you. Can clue you in on how much activity there's been.

 

NOW I understand why there are so many similar responses to posts: the reply you add is not visable for many hours and others go through same routine and delay posting their replies, essentially "blind".

 

Not all contests require you transmit a serial number. An example would be CQWW, where you send signal report and zone.

I believe most contests that require a serial number require you to start with 001. Even if they don't, there's no point in not beginning there, unless you want to confuse yourself (others won't care).

 

Thank you to everyone.

 

People that do that are quite openly told they are stupid on the air and often not logged. I have heard people getting chastised for that more than once.It is not hard to tell early on in a contest. Not hard to tell late in the contest for that matter.