[CQ-Contest] Is RTTY Only a Contest Mode?

[Dave Barr]

I suppose it is a matter of how long we've had our licenses. Digital 
preferences may be correlated by lower duration of license to the 
dumbing down of digital operating modes.  Yes, FT8 is quite efficient in 
completing large numbers of digital qsos by dxpeditions.  However, it 
might be a bit fairer to compare FT8 F&H operation to a rtty dxpedition 
using 4 or 5 transmitters on the same band, which will never happen.  
But in the real world, working a rare dxpedition by pressing a button 
every five minutes and probably getting a qso within ten of fifteen 
minutes, with absolutely no finesse other than shift-clicking on a 
possibly unoccupied qrg, seems unrewarding to me.  You don't even have 
to watch; just look every once in a while for a pair of red lines.

Considering contesting, I have found that rtty contesting is absolutely 
more productive, even at 5 watts, than is FT8 or 4 running as much as 
100 watts.  I think there is a strong possibility that the close 
proximity and resulting qrm of the narrow FT band segments may 
contribute considerably to my dificulties, but I find it quite frustrating.

The simplicity of FT# one-push qsos has attracted many new and some not 
so new hams to digital operation, a good thing, but I am afraid that it 
also reflects the reluctance of many of us to have a conversation, to 
have communication of more than just a couple of letters and numbers.  
My local club (New Providence ARC) holds a psk or rtty net on Monday 
evenings alternating with club meetings on ten meters (surprisingly 
efficient for a 30 mile or so diameter circle) where we actually have 
digital conversations. Helps improving typing skills and solving various 
station problems members might experience, as well as "talking" about 
interesting subjects.  You might want to try it.  Used to be that a good 
number of us had real rtty roundtables  on the hf bands.  Not so much 
now, if any.  The internet was a party to that demise, and perhaps the 
FTs are carrying on the trend.  Bottom line is that most of us are not 
communicating much through the electro-magnetosphere.

Excuse my rant!

73, Dave, K2YG