Use the RTL Button

[kd7qdu]

I heard you calling CQ from Ohio on 10 this morning and would have loved to work you. Unfortunately you called cq long enough that I could have gone to the fridge and got a coke and made a sandwich. by the time you stopped calling the band was fading out.    Use the RTL button (release to listen) and try listening more and calling CQ less.

OK rant over, how long should a cq be, I use 3x3x3 ie cq 3 times call 3 times cq 3 times then I shut up and listen.

Any opinions

Eric

[Pete, WA2CWA]

29 seconds or less.

[w3jn]

  "RTL" button...

[WQ9E]

The only annoying CQ I can remember is from my novice days when I would run across a station that would cleanly and excruciating slowly send CQ 21 times and then his call once and the sending of the call would be faster with horrible spacing.  An unforgettable experience was in the 15 meter novice band and a novice station was doing a marathon CQ followed by a lousy rendition of his call.  When he finished a station clearly sent V three times (to get his attention I presume) followed in slow precise CW with, "for the love of God please learn how to send your call de" and the advising station had an Irish call.  I was still chuckling when I found and worked the EI station a few minutes later.  Too bad it wasn't on voice because his advice would have been even more hilarious delivered in the proper Irish brogue

My habit in calling CQ is always to end with my call,  with a lot of activity I would use a 3 X 2  and maybe repeat this sequence a second time on a less active band but always ending with your call.  Maybe it is just a pet peeve of mine but if I tuned across just as you were ending with your final CQ CQ CQ but no ID it would annoy me just a little - but definitely not enough to send you a nasty email

Rodger WQ9E

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I heard a zero station this morning calling CQ on 10 meter AM. Started off fine, then some quiet as he was evidently tuning his rig, then some humming as he continued tuning; then continued CQ'ing; then stopped and said "that's good - got it" ; then continued CQ'ing, then several seconds of quiet, then said "hallooo hallooo hallooo", then continued calling CQ; threw his call in a few times throughout this process. The total duration was somewhere about 5 minutes or more since I don't know how long he was doing this before I got on his frequency. No one responded to his CQ. I didn't either because I was laughing too hard to respond.

[AJ1G]

I heard a zero station this morning calling CQ on 10 meter AM. Started off fine, then some quiet as he was evidently tuning his rig, then some humming as he continued tuning; then continued CQ'ing; then stopped and said "that's good - got it" ; then continued CQ'ing, then several seconds of quiet, then said "hallooo hallooo hallooo", then continued calling CQ; threw his call in a few times throughout this process. The total duration was somewhere about 5 minutes or more since I don't know how long he was doing this before I got on his frequency. No one responded to his CQ. I didn't either because I was laughing too hard to respond.

At least you didn't have to hear him washing his dishes....

[K1JJ]

Yep, "RTL" is a new one - funny stuff.   


What irks me is a common CW corntest habit (and DXers too) when calling CQ. They send CQ and then their call -  but have no ending. Like, "CQ CQ CQ K1JJ"    There should follow a "K" or "AR."    But nooooo... they leave their call hanging in mid air and we're supposed to know if they stood by, fell asleep or the rig blew up.

T