[RTTY] CQ WW RTTY LA6FJA SOAB(A) HP

[W0YR at aol.com]

Congratulations!!!

1.  I had a similar experience with SV8CS who left the frequency.  I called 
"QRL?" six times and no response.   I waited 30 seconds and called again.  NO 
RESPONSE.  I began running and after I had worked about 15 stations, SV8CS came 
on again, exactly on my (by then, "my") frequency and began running.  He was 
very rude and my rate went down because of the QRM from him, so I finally 
moved.  This means a rude person won the situation -- and I don't agree that, 
"It's only a contest."   There should be a gentleman's rule that if you are off a 
frequency for 30 sec., you lose it.   

2.  There is a silly practice creeping in, especially among new operators:  
They answer your CQ with their call, AND a report.  It only makes for confusion 
and QRM.  At first, one thinks it is the station that was just worked trying 
to send again his report -- which you already QSLed.  Then, it is just 
additional numbers and letters mixed in with those who call.   Also, it puts the 
"normal" operator out of step and IT ONLY WASTES TIME, although the new operator 
thinks it saves time.  The normal routine is :  

Running Stn:  CQ
Calling Stn:    de RR9XXX
Running Stn:  RR9XXX ur 599 15
Calling Stn:    RR9XXX ur 599 20
Running Stn:  RR9XXX TU de (running stn call)

etc., usw. 

However the "new" ill-advised practice of including a report when answering a 
CQ only causes the running station to ask for a report he has already got. 

3.  My third rant is about stations that don't know what a <CR> is for and 
don't know how to use them.  When listening, there are very often lines of 
"garbage" on the screen.  When another station starts sending and is readable by 
the receiving station, the callsign appears in those lines of garbage.  If the 
sending station sends one or two <CR>s first, AND after his callsign, then it 
looks like this:

E8WUIOWPER
OH2ZYZ
RU8O243NLSAKJ

Without any <CR>s, it looks like this:

E8WUIOWPEROH2ZYZRU8O243NLSAKJ   etc., usw.

Many of the software systems are able to detect calls and "light them up" on 
the screen.  They do it even better, especially WF1B, if one sends DE and a 
space before his call, also remembering to use <CR>s at the beginning and end of 
every macro.

Thanks for letting me share these rants with you.  I hope they are 
reasonable.  

73

Mike
W0YR/4