UR RST 599...SKCC xxxxx...Bye, 73, CUAGN

You can check out any time you like but you can never leave ...

Dave
W7UUU

 

I've made a lot of SKCC contacts and never have I been part of, or heard just a RST report, number, and BYE.......there's always a QTH and Name of Op included.
I enjoy SKCC activities, even the quickie numbers swaps...but if someone wants to tell me about their rig and their age, I'm all ears, and reply in kind.

 

There's potentially a couple other reasons for a "drive-by"...

The operator may be new to CW and be uncomfortable in a ragchew. I've been doing CW less than a couple years and ragchews were intimidating at first (and still are at QRQ speeds for me).

Secondly (and I'm not saying this is the OPs case) is once they start the QSO they realize they can't comfortably copy your FIST and want to move along.

 

Yeah, some might say that the "drive by" number collecting is one way to beat the intimidation factor that using a new mode might present. There are plenty of other similar ideas for doing that, though, and not all of them require to to sign up to get a number.

(I've taken The Prisoner's approach to being assigned numbers; I figure a callsign is enough.)

 

That's a good point!

I've had it happen where I answered a CQ and had it turn out that the op on the other end could send CQ just fine and even got his call sign out in a reasonably clean fist... but then... OMG ... what have I done? this guy is a train wreck! and then of course, the oldest excuse in the book... "SRI OM MUST QRT XYL IS CLG 73" .

 

Very true. The K3Y operations are actually special event stations where there is a reward of sorts (special QSL cards and certificates) for making contacts with the various multiple K3Y stations. The operating goal is to make as many contacts as possible for the benefit of the non-KY3/# station. This is no different than most special event stations. Also, this is one SKCC activity where non-SKCC members can get the QSL/certificate without joining.

So, as N0NB points out, don't expect an RC when contacting K3Y/#, or any special event station for that matter.

73 de Steve KE4OH (and sometimes K3Y/4)

 

You know, this is how I got involved in SKCC in the first place. I was licensed in 1977 but went inactive in 1982. I "came home" in 2015. I was really only interested in CW and, somehow, could still copy but very slowly. Various web searches about frequencies for QRS QSOs turned up SKCC. I fell in with them and started participating in the sprints. The drive-by, but low-pressure, nature of them really helped me get back in the swing. The QSO format was very fixed. All that changed between QSOs was the information. That "limit", if you will, got me back up to speed in a hurry. And now I'm kind of addicted to collecting numbers. However, I no longer need the drive-by constraints so I'm happy to RC with anybody, any time.

73 de Steve KE4OH SKCC 13651S

 

Could have been nerves. I've done that myself but without the numbers when I get nervous and forget what I'm doing. :/ Sometimes I even cheat and write down three messages to send; one with basic info (RST, QTH, and name), another with rig and antenna info. and a third about the local weather. But, if I'm getting too frazzled and start having troubles copying what I hear, I simply give a 73 and sign off. And, if I'm having troubles copying correctly, I may not know they sent a comment to me. I apologize if this has caused offense to anyone.

73 de Lyle AF7OS

 

That's one of the reasons I don't work as much CW as I used to. Most QSOs are the 'rubber stamp' variety, particularly DX contacts. Exchanging name, QTH, rig (string of numbers and letters that probably don't mean a thing to me), 599 signal report, and finally the mandatory 73, CUL QRZ? gets boring pretty quickly. I enjoy a nice ragchew, with the other op and myself find some common interest to talk about, but that seems to happen less and less often.

 

The same thing can apply to other modes.