[CQ-Contest] RTTY replace CW contesting??

Paul J. Piercey p.piercey at nl.rogers.com
Thu Mar 27 09:27:41 EDT 2008


> -----Original Message-----
> From: cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com 
> [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of ku8e
> Sent: March 27, 2008 01:46
> To: cq-contest at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] RTTY replace CW contesting??
> 
> WELL, I AGREE. SLOWLY BUT SURELY RTTY IS REPLACING SSB AND 
> THEN CW CONTESTING
> 
> 73's Andrei EW1AR-NP3D (25 years of SSB/CW and 5 years of RTTY now)
> 
> 
> Please give me a break !!!  If RTTY contesting was so 
> important to the overall scheme of things in the 
> radiosporting world then it would be part of the WRTC 
> qualifying. As long as there is DX around CQWW DX CW/SSB will rule !!!
> 
> 
> Jeff KU8E

Hi Jeff,

Perhaps you are right for the short term but you must look to the future.

Imagine the scenario where CW contests are only permitted to be entered by
operators who copy CW solely in their head and the use of CW readers
(soundcard programs, Skimmer, etc) is prohibited. Given that the bulk of new
operators entering the hobby these days are either no-code or slow code, how
long do you think it'll take before RTTY, a mode that must use devices for
decoding, actually does overtake CW? Just look at the last 2 years of
Dxpeditions. Most, if not all, of them have made a strong push to include
digital modes in their operations. There's a reason for that.

All this consternation about the use of Skimmer and code readers (the topic
that gave birth to this thread) is misplaced. I can understand that there is
a sense of pride and superiority from the guys who have developed their CW
skills over the years. They worked hard to do it. Also, there will probably
be a good number of new amateurs who will develop their skills to some
extent but you must face the reality of the situation. No-code licences are
the norm world-wide and if you make a conscious effort to exclude these guys
from playing in CW contests simply because they haven't had to learn CW or
have difficulty with it, then they will migrate somewhere else; RTTY,
perhaps, or to another hobby. Either way, the CW contesting would be
diminished and something else would take its place.

I think that's the point that was being made.

73 -- Paul VO1HE





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