[CQ-Contest] TQP vs CQ RTTY

[John Cashen]

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)