[RTTY] [CQ-Contest] RTTY contest software

[J. Edward (Ed) Muns]

I agree with Dave's comments below with one enhancement.  In the limited
amount of RTTY contesting I've done, running both MMTTY (Standard Profile)
and the Hal DXP-38, the outputs from the two decoders are identical most of
the time.  The exception is only 1-2% of the time when MMTTY is not copying
and I simultaneously have a clear copy on the DXP-38.  For example in the
2006 ARRL RTTY Round-Up, the only time I needed the Hal DXP-38 over MMTTY
was on the early morning 40 meter JA path from P4.  For some reason MMTTY
Standard Profile seldom got a clean copy at that time, but the DXP-38 was
good enough to complete the QSO in one pass in all cases.

If I could have only one decoder, it would be MMTTY.  But, it is easy enough
to run the DXP-38 simultaneously, so I do that "just in case".  I suspect
that running three MMTTY decoder windows (Standard, Flutter and Multi-Path
profiles) would be just as good, maybe better, than the Hal DXP-38 ... if I
could just figure out how to keep all three windows running reliably.  In
2005, multiple MMTTY windows worked great for me, but not this year for some
reason.

73,
Ed - W0YK

> I think Writelog is the best contest program for RTTY, 
> especially if you are going to use it on a DXpedition where 
> you expect pileups. Writelog is the only program that will 
> look at a string of characters like: FDR8EK7WM6CVDF and 
> highlight K7WM as a valid callsign. This function is 
> accomplished by looking at AA5AU's database of RTTY 
> Contesters: 
> http://www.rttycontesting.com/downloads/downloads.htm  This 
> feature is invaluable in a pileup situation. Callsigns not 
> in the database can be entered into the log by clicking on 
> the first letter of the call.
> 
> Writelog will also do the functions you mentioned above. 
> Current consensus seems to be that sound card demodulation 
> using the program MMTTY is at least as good as hardware 
> modems.  Writelog fully supports the DXP-38, as well as 
> MMTTY.
> 
> Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
> Yuma, AZ