[CQ-Contest] RTTY Rates

[Leigh S. Jones, KR6X]

I can't sit quietly while this thread goes on.

Below, W4ZV suggests that because RTTY contest scores are
generally lower than their CW or SSB counterparts, he can 
conclude that RTTY and other digital modes are slower and
have inherently lower rates than their CW or SSB counterparts.

I don't want to endorse AA4LR's software choices without
the necessary expertise, but I'd have to object to the closed
mindedness that W4ZV displays.

I'm a guy who "loves" the music of contesting, and for me that
means the chorus of SSB contesters, the symphony of CW, 
and the grand combinations found in contests like the CQP.

But, for me, modern RTTY contests are like sheet music.  
Sheet music just doesn't have the same sound as music that's
being performed.  But, old time RTTY contests with the old
Model 15's kerchunking away rhythmically-- now that was 
percussion.

Be that as it may, I'd still have to object that with sufficient
activity and technical advancement the digital modes have the
potential for much higher contest score yields than CW and
SSB.  There's simply not enough digital mode contesting to
drive the scores up.  Perhaps this is because many digital 
mode contesters are active on CW and SSB while only a
fraction of CW and SSB contesters are active on digital 
modes.

When I began contesting, and W4ZV as well, the record 
high CW scores for most contests typically eclipsed the 
phone scores just as the record high phone score he lists 
below eclipses the RTTY score.  How quickly he forgets.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Tippett" <btippett at alum.mit.edu>
To: <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 06, 2002 19:21
Subject: [CQ-Contest] RTTY Rates


> AA4LR wrote:
> >I've never seen it in actual use, but there is an application called 
> >RITTY, that apparently makes RTTY contesting very fast an effective. 
> >There's also a RTTY contest application that works in concert with it.
> >
> >I believe the future may have already arrived when you weren't 
> >watching....
> 
>         Prove it.  I'll wait to see meaningful results or data before 
> I take your word for it.  I've never seen any rates for RTTY that are
> anywhere close to either CW or SSB rates.  It would be interesting to
> know what K3MM or N4GN (previous record holder) had for peak rates
> but I would doubt they could be much above 120/hour even under optimum
> conditions and with plenty of stations calling.  Time for some facts
> rather than more unsubstantiated opinions.  
> 
>                                                 73,  Bill  W4ZV
> 
> World Records  QSO      Mode    Year
> P40MM(K3MM)   2972      RTTY    2001 (claimed)
> EA8BH(N5TJ)  10253      SSB     1999
> EA8BH(N5TJ)   7616      CW      2000
> 
>                                                 
> 
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