[RTTY] The #1 mistake contest directors/sponsors can make

[tgstewart@pepco.com]

...is to create rules that LIMIT activity.  This is particularly true for 
the smaller RTTY contests.  10 minute rules, overly restrictive operating 
time periods, and other rules of this nature ultimately limit activity and 
are a guarantee to keep these smaller contests small or non-existent. 

They are free to do whatever they want with the rules, but there are too 
many RTTY contests to start with and by making rules the limit activity 
rather than encourage it, they will guarantee the "also-ran" status of 
their contests forever. 

What they should be doing is figuring out ways to INCREASE activity, 
particularly on bands that are under-utilized.  10 minutes rules are a 
guarantee to keep almost all activity on 20, 40, and maybe 15.  This 
limits overall activity and limits scores.  It's also a guarantee that 
some operators who have limited time for serious contest efforts will 
remain off the air during these events.  If you cant get more than 1 or 2 
serious, fulltime competitors to operate in your contest, it's going 
nowhere fast.

The way to increase activity is to use band multipliers of all sorts and 
per-band QSOs, unrestricted operating classes as the core, with more 
restrictive classes added within reason, unrestricted operating time 
during the contest period, and anything else that will encourage RTTY 
operation on ALL bands all the time.

73, Ty K3MM