Was just listening to a guy on 20 meters who is in Serbia and doing a "CQ Contest". It is the usual pile-on, but the exchange differs because he will tell the contact "please copy 5926" and then they will say back to him things like "you are my number 1" or similar.

What is that all about? I didn't want to make contact and not assist in his contest and I had no "you are my number x" to offer...

In my experience, you tell them what # contact they are in YOUR contest log.  I don’t contest, so for a specific contest the # I give the first person I answer is “001,” “002” and so on.  You put the # they give you in your log and they put the # you give them in their log. That way they match up.

check here for contests and exchanges

https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php
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probably this one

https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php#11568

Exchange:RS(T) + Serial No.

I ran into the exact same situation with two contacts in Russia last night -- one in Siberia. The Siberian fellow kept asking me, "What is my number?" I had no idea, so I just shut up after indicating QSL. It made me feel a little better hearing a couple other US stations who were dumbfounded like I was.

I say 1.  You should answer my number is 7.62.

Of course when I say 1 it confuses them too..12 hours into a contest and I'm your first???

Are they only wanting other contesters to respond?

Yeah that's usually some sort of sprint contest. It's just the contact number you are for them. You put down each other's contact number and it has to match up to get credit from what I understand. I quit contacting them after I was told that, one isn't a big deal I guess but still felt bad.

They want contacts, but you have to have the correct information to exchange for whatever contest they are doing.

Like your state QSO party for example, almost all of them are in-state County, out-of-state State name.

5926 is a signal report (59) plus a serial number (contact number 26 for that contest).

Field Day next month the exchange is station size and classification plus ARRL section (if US) or DX country.


Easy reference for all the various contests. Every weekend almost you'll hear some kind of contest on HF.

Something that can be confusing is that some people will use phrases like "you are 5926" when sending their exchange to you. Just have to understand the context... someone else sends their exchange that you need to copy. You send your exchange that they need to copy.

If you're replying to a contester who is running stations, copy all their information from previous contacts before calling in. Do not call in to a pileup and then ask for their callsign or something like that. If it's a serial number contest as this one apparently is, copy previous serials so you have an idea of what yours will be. Speed and efficiency are the name of the game in contesting, not politeness or conversation.

A contest contact could well go like this:

QRZ contest A15R
K1ARF (in phonetics) (pileup)
K1ARF 5987
thank you 5945
A15R
(next contact)

Always just use phonetics as appropriate, never "K1ARF that's Kilo One Alpha Romeo Foxtrot". If your readback is not in phonetics that's usually an indication of excellent signal and readability at the other end.

For Field Day especially there are a lot of relatively neophyte operators and I slow down and use more plain-language prowords to make things easier.

the key is to know the exchange, and make the QSO quickly and effeciently.

Brevity

don't waste a contesters time being slow, or asking a bunch of questions that you can look up.

He's tryin to make as many contacts as he can.

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