[RTTY] Operating PSK-31 from DX locations

[W0YR at aol.com]

Bill,

I co-miserate with your experience on trying to work PSK-31 from DX 
countries.  I spent 33 weeks in various DX countries during 2002 and carry a 
portable station including FT-100D and an interface that allows me to work 
RTTY, PSK31, etc.  It is most exasperating to try to furnish people with a 
new country when many of those on the other end, make no attempt to keep 
their QSOs short, for the accomodation of others.  I am speaking of PSK31,  N 
O T  RTTY.  The RTTY guys are great.

I now refer to PSK31 as the "Macro-Mode," since above 80% of all QSOs involve 
the exchange of macros.  I am fortunate in being able to type like a 
house-a'-fire, so I do not have a brag tape, but rather, type a real message 
to the other guy actually commenting on what he has sent me.  99% of the time 
I get the standard "thanks for info" macro in reply.  So much for "real 
QSO's" on PSK31.  

I spent my own money and went to OHØ and wasted a helluva lot of time on 
PSK31.  There were a large number of stations calling, but I had to sit there 
and read about the speed of the CPUs, what software they're using, etc.  
There is a LOT of education to be done for the PSK31 crew as a whole.  On 
those same weekend DX-peditions to OHØ, LZ, ES, LY, HA, OE, 3A2 & OH, I 
worked tons of other stations on RTTY and CW.  Every once in a while a case 
of the "dumbs" would hit me and I would try PSK31.  My rate went from 2 or 3 
a minute on the other modes to one per three minutes on the "Macro-Mode."   

I fully concur with what you've written and am wondering how this situation 
could be dealt with.

73

Mike
WØYR  /3A  /HA  /OE  /OH  /OHØ  /OK   /LZ   /R3  /ES/  /YL   /DL