[RTTY] 3C0V important RTTY info

[Don Hill AA5AU]

Sadly, the 3C0V RTTY operation has been poor.  I've spent the better
part of the last two days at the radio.  I'm happy to say I made a solid RTTY contact
at 1755Z.  But there are issues I'd like to pass on to others to help make it
into the log.

They do not confirm contacts.  You get one shot.  When they receive a call,
they send the following:

AA5AU AA5AU DE 3C0V 3C0V 599 DE 3C0V 73..SK

You go back with your report and that is the end of the QSO.  They do not
send a confirmation.  They go on to the next contact.  It may be 3 minutes or
15 minutes between contacts (or I should say transmissions?) or more.

The biggest problem other than not confirming contacts is that their transmit 
frequency changes nearly every time they transmit.  This afternoon, they
were around 21082.00, but nearly each time they transmitted anywhere from
21081.97 to 21082.12.  I had to keep one hand on the VFO of the radio.

If you want to get this one in the log badly enough, I suggest to plan on spending
a lot of time at the radio.  I sent my call 5 times each time up anywhere from 2 to
10 khz.  I was up 2.4 khz when they called me.  Aftern each of my transmissions,
I listed around 5 seconds and send my call 5 times again.  It was a good 20 minutes
from the last time I heard their signal until they came back me.

In the several hours that I listened to them today, I can confirm the following
stations were given reports:

W1MAG
DF3CB
IK5DNF
I3MLU
LY2ZZ
SP9AOA
CT1FJK (I'm not 100% sure on this one, the report seemed different, maybe from a pirate?)
G3BWP
UA3UQK

I did not record times.  All these contacts were made before my contact at 1755Z.  I
saw only one other contact after mine but did not copy the callsign, then they were gone.

It's easy to criticize their operation, but that won't get you into the log.  We don't know
the conditions they are operating under.  It might be better, but I would count on it.

73 & GL,
Don AA5AU
http://www.aa5au.com
http://www.rttycontesting.com