Why YOU Should ALWAYS Pay Attention

Contest operation visitors often ask, something on the order of "What's the most common
thing you say over the radio"?  My Answer?: "Again, AGAIN!?"  However, what I Don't say
over the air a dozen times an hour (but mumble to myself loud enough for the room to hear)
is: "PAY ATTENTION!".  I say that REPEATEDLY in response to unexpected things which
happen during radiosport operation.  Here are a few things that make me go "HuH?!?"

• While running a frequency, 5 stations call-in at once.  I work one of the 5 (10-seconds max.), send "QRZ?" and the other 4 have disappeared.  REALLY?   Where'd-ja GO?
  (after 9.5 seconds).  Recently, out of frustration, I even wrote a blog about this
  ([CLICK HERE] to read it.).  As a trained neuro-therapist, I guess I shouldn't be
  surprised by the inability to remain focused for at least 10-seconds.
• A station calls-in frantically several times - BiG Signal.  I send him an Exchange,
  and then: NOTHING, the station Disappears into DEAD air.  REALLY? - I thought
  you DESPARATELY wanted a CONTACT! - WHEW!
• I call "CQ ASIA" or "CQ EU" and receive calls from Billy-Bob and his brother Barney, obliterating the WEAK QRP stations desperately hoping to get thru, and I'm desperately attempting to dig out of the (often high) noise-level.  Do you understand what CQ ASIA and CQ EU mean?  If NoT, then YOU SHOULD NOT CALL ME.  I've written this one up NUMEROUS time.  ([CLICK HERE]) to read the latest installment on that horribly
  overrun topic.
• When running a frequency accompanied by fast-fading, I miss your Number and send "NR?".  You send "599 $@&" (a quick fade took your number out).  I heard perfectly the "599" (which I don't need to hear a 2nd time) and then the signal fades and I miss hearing the number again and again.  Had you sent ONLY the number "069", I would have copied it perfectly on the FIRST repeat; instead of 4 "599 $@&" time wasters.
• During the recent Canadian RAC contest, I would call a station spotted on the band map
  (Ex: "VE6xx"), hear him LOUD and CLEAR, send in my callsign and: NOTHING!".  After
  3 calls with no return (sometimes others also called-in) and sending "QRL?" twice with no reply, I press [F1] and call CQ - the frequency is now mine.  Operators will click on (what is now) a busted-spot and will work WQ6X instead; either way WQ6X gets 2-Points.
• A station on a run frequency sends "WQ6?", leading me to believe that a QSO with him
  is a Slam-Dunk and send my callsign TWICE.  Instead, it turns out to be a Slam-DONK. 
  KB6LID calls in on top of me and the run station works HIM - NoT me!  What happened
  to "WQ6? - HuH? Pay ATTENTION! - BoTH OF YoU!
  When I am a run station and I send "NX6?", I STICK WITH THAT STATION until contact
  is either made, or, deemed impossible.  If necessary, I instruct the LIDs to STBY (QRX),
  or send "NX6 ONLY".
• When I send "CL?", I want ONLY your callsign (preferably TWICE).  I Don't need to hear MY callsign twice - I already KNOW who I am.  Doing it otherwise, with fading we get:
  "WQ6X WQ6X de KB6#@&" and we are right back where we started from (see above).

Now, having made all these points, I should preface all this with a reminder that preceding EVERY radiosport event, we should do a THOROUGH read of the contest rules, as well as any related information sources.

Then, during each actual radiosport activity we should:

P A Y   A T T E N T I O N