[RTTY] Why ARRL Messed with RTTY Awards

[Peter Laws]

On Dec 29, 2007 7:16 PM, Dick Kriss <aa5vu at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> Anyone understand the logic or reason behind the ARRL decision to include
> PSK31 and other digital mode QSOs for the RTTY WAS and DXCC awards?

They like to mess with stuff?  They do have a history ...  :-)

If you look at the WAS page at arrl.org (I had to check again myself),
you'll see that the "Digital" WAS is awarded for contacts using, and I
quote, "PSK31, AMTOR, PacTOR, RTTY, G-TOR, etc".  "etc" is one of
those new ones that few have tried, IIRC.  Anyway, it goes on to say
that these are not numbered "except RTTY".  Sure enough, my RTTY WAS
has "DIGITAL" hastily lasered at the top and "RTTY #410" nearer the
bottom.  Take that, PSKers!

I'm glad they updated the actual WAS certificate; I don't care for the
older vertical format paper.  I've not seen one close-up, but it
doesn't appear that they added an "official spot" for things like
modes and serial numbers ...  too bad.


--
73,
Peter Laws
N5UWY
ARRL VE, LM, HF Awards Manager
WAC (phone)
WAS #51466 / RTTY WAS #410 / WAS/90