CW QSO Recommendations

Hi,
I have a few questions regarding ideal CW procedures - for quick SOTA QSOs and for “her majesty”-style, formal, conversational QSOs.

  1. What is the best way to ask the other station to repeat the RST report in case I missed it?
    a) Simply "HW?"
    b) RST?
    c) PSE RST?
    d) PSE RPT RPRT
    e) PSE RPT RST
    f) QRI? QRU? QSA?
    I recently had a QSO where the other station did non understand any of those and kept sending detailed CONDX and WX info when I asked for the RST.

  2. Who may/should say “TNX FER UR CALL” at the beginning of a QSO - the station calling CQ, the station answering a CQ call, or both?

  3. What do you use if you hear a weak station answering your CQ that is too weak to be copied?
    a) QRJ (“I cannot receive you. Your signals are too weak.”)
    b) SRI NIL CPY

MNI TNX ES 73 de Martin, DK3IT

Answers:

1.b) RST?

  1. either party should just say “TNX”

  2. assuming you’ve already gone through a cycle of “AGN AGN” and still unsuccessful, just send “SRI” once or twice and the caller will understand

2 Likes

I wouldn’t worry about it too much!

Each activator has his own style, you’ll soon settle into a comfortable routine.

RST? or similar should work fine if you need a repeat. You’ll find that a lot of chasers usually give the RST twice or more anyway - the first time you can copy it, the second time you can double check.

RST isn’t needed for the SOTA log, as the saying goes - ‘no one dies’ if you don’t copy your RST. After a while, the common reports 5nn, 55n, 57n really stick in your mind and it becomes almost automatic transferring from CW to the log paper.

Vy 73,
Colin

1 Like

Keep it simple. I need to because I’m not very good at CW. RST? is what I send. As Colin says, we all end up with our own style, try to keep consistency in how you call, what you send etc. That way the smart guys will learn your style and know when and how to call you.

Thanks! In the short run, I hold on to rubber stamp SOTA QSOs, but one day I want to be as relaxed as this guy rag-chewing with a straight key:

:wink:

Martin

5 Likes

Hello Martin:
My answers below in bold.
What is the best way to ask the other station to repeat the RST report in case I missed it?
a) Simply "HW?"
b) RST?
c) PSE RST?
d) PSE RPT RPRT
e) PSE RPT RST
f) QRI? QRU? QSA?
I recently had a QSO where the other station did non understand any of those and kept sending detailed CONDX and WX info when I asked for the RST. Perhaps he was not paying attention or not copying what you were sending and he was just sending with the help of a computer or some morse machine his recorded messages one after the other.
Who may/should say “TNX FER UR CALL” at the beginning of a QSO - the station calling CQ, the station answering a CQ call, or both? If I call CQ I respond to the ham who called me TNX FER CALL but, when I respond to someone’s CQ, he usually comes back to me with a signal report and so I say to him TNX FER RPRT.
What do you use if you hear a weak station answering your CQ that is too weak to be copied?
a) QRJ (“I cannot receive you. Your signals are too weak.”)
b) SRI NIL CPY
I usually say SRY TOO WEAK. CANT CPY. 73

Best 73,

Guru

1 Like

“CFM” is an effective way of conveying that you’ve got everything and that from your perspective, the QSO is good. As is “TNX 73 QRZ?”!

Section 3.7.1 of the SOTA General Rules point 8 states:

…QSOs must comprise an exchange of callsigns and signal reports, …

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This is my system:

  1. RST?
  2. TNX, or TU (name) if I know their name and at the beginning
  3. Select one from “Q Signals” on the internet

Jack KB7HH

1 Like

:joy:

And your point is?

Yes, RST is exchanged.

Where are you ‘officially’ required to log it?

In all my years of cw hamming, I’ve NEVER heard “QRJ”

Correct.

Also, the IARU guidelines for a valid QSO state:

The definition of a minimum valid QSO is that both stations have copied all of the following:

  1. Both callsigns from the other station
  2. Signal report from the other station (or some other previously unknown piece of
    information, e.g. the other station’s Locator grid)
  3. “R” or “Roger” from the other station, to acknowledge complete copy of 1 and 2.

73,
Walt (G3NYY)