Bravo to KI5XP,
Charlie, I was also at that fine Dayton presentation by W1ZT and
AA5AU. BTW that 2003 Dayton presentation can be found on Don's web
site, http://www.rttycontesting.com , look under Lagniappe . Also,
WS7I was the 3rd presenter in that Forum.
I would like to add one more point in the debate over the
significance of RTTY contests. Imagine if you were confined do to
residential restrictions to 100w and wires or verticals no taler the
20 ft. You were on the other side of the world (in VK5) from the 2
of the 3 contesting population centers and in the bottom of a sunspot
cycle. I had been a lifelong SSB contester and dxer, but in my late
50's I found myself in that exact situation. SSB contesting was
simply futile and out of boredom I discovered RTTY contesting back
when the contesting computer codes were just starting to become
sophisticated even though they were mostly DOS-based. I also dusted
off my 45 year old bug and started dabbling in CW after stopping
altogether in 1954 once I had passed the old General exam. Through
CW contesting, an old man was able to raise his "contesting" CW speed
to 25 wpm rather quickly. I was never able to master an iambic key,
so still use that old bug! I now enjoy both modes of contesting
equally, along with SSB, even though I've had my "dream" station since 2000.
My point to this story is, like Charlie, I believe both modes have
great value in the same spectrum at the same time, If that is what
happens from time to time. It is outrageously arrogant to value one
over the other , no more than one should value SSB over CW. I might
point out that RTTY uses some very sophisticated operating and shack
fabrication skills. Even with the best PC maintaining a 20 deep
pileup at the best rate in mode whose bandwidth is less than 200 Hz
and has to be tune near perfectly or you get gibberish. requires
expert manipulation of radio and software. Both of which have many
potential options to employ. Finally such an environment makes use
of ear and eye to make out a call sign and report when every other
character on the screen is might be in error. Its a different set of
human skills, more like SSB. The equipment manipulation skills can be
way above the other modes.
All three have an equal place in our world of contesting
John VK4UC / W5UG (new, formerly W6KNC)
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
|