[RTTY] From the 3B7C team

[Phil Cooper]

Hi all,

I am passing this info on from the 3B7C team, and the info comes from Don
G3BJ, who was one of the RTTY ops at 3B7C.
I am sure most of you will already appreciate all the points made, but there
may be one or two of you who might find it useful.

Please pass any comments on to me direct, or to Don at g3ozf at btinternet.com

73 de Phil GU0SUP

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So you want to work that rare DXpedition on RTTY ?

In the RTTY pile-ups for 3B7C it became very clear to me that there were
some habits of RTTY’ers that were not helping to maximise the QSO rate for
the DXpedition, nor to help the calling operator make QSOs.

First, it’s important to think about what the DXpedition operator is having
to cope with. Most expeditions today use some version of MMTTY as the RTTY
engine, and the operator will see a waterfall crammed so full with signals
that it is impossible to distinguish any one pair of tones. He will then,
most likely, tune to the edge of pile-up in the hope of finding a lone
caller whose call can easily be decoded. Simply calling and calling will not
help this situation if you are in the middle of the pile-up – it will just
make matters worse.

The operator may or may not be trying to use the mouse to click on tones.
Personally, I prefer to tune stations in by ear, based on the outgoing tone
from the transmitter. This seems to allow quicker “lock-on” to a calling
station. But after a QSO is completed, there seems to be a habit of calling
directly on that last frequency. This may be fine when there is only one
station "tail-ending" but when there are 100 on the same frequency, it is
futile.

Also, remember that the operator of the DXpedition is really not interested
in your name or QTH. He is trying to keep a rate of 140/hour +, which leaves
no time for frills in the exchange.

So here are a few pointers to make it easier for you to work Dxpeditions,
and to allow more stations overall to make an RTTY QSO.

	-	Do NOT transmit unless either the DX has called QRZ, or has called you.
RTTY is a machine mode, and computers simply cannot handle an enormous
pile-up. Too many callers simply hit the transmit key with insufficient time
for listening. A waterfall so full of stations that no single tones are
discernable is really tough.

	-	Do not try to tail-end a QSO – stations who do this regularly stop the
current QSO being completed.
Be patient.  And don’t pile in on the last QSO frequency. Whilst this might
be smart if you are tail-ending under normal (non-DXpedition) circumstances,
it simply makes it impossible for a DXpedition station to continue to use
that frequency. The one thing you can almost guarantee, is that if you try
to call on the frequency of the last QSO, you will not make the QSO.

	-	Listen more – think about what the DXpedition operator is having to cope
with.
Rarely will a complete callsign become visible on his screen. He will be
assessing what he sees, and making up a complete call from fragments. Give
him time to do this and to type the call into the computer. Often stations
call again, just as the DX is ready to reply. Give a good five seconds
between your calling transmissions.


	-	Don’t send a string of carriage returns at the end of your transmission.
The DX operator is trying to assemble your callsign and occasionally may
even be lucky enough to have your full call on the screen. He could click on
it and immediately respond, but not if the callsign is moving rapidly up the
screen as a result of your carriage returns

	-	Think about where you transmit !
The DX will have his waterfall packed full of signals and will almost
certainly will tune to the very edge of the pile-up, in the hope of finding
a station in the clear.

	-	Keep your exchange to a minimum.
If the DX has called you with your your complete call the following is
enough:

599 599 TU [CALL]          - no need for the DX call (you’re not calling
anyone else !) nor your name,
nor your QTH nor 73 nor GL, nor a string of dots, nor any carriage returns

Compare this with the often used (as heard at 3B7C):

3B7C 3B7C DE [CALL] [CALL] R R TU UR RST 599 599 TU GL ES 73 DE [CALL]
[CALL] 
.C/R C/R C/R C/R

Compare the time of each of the above: the brief version is five seconds,
the long version is 19 seconds. Allowing for 10 seconds search time and 2x5
seconds transmission time from 3B7C, this makes the difference between a
maximum rate of 144/hour and a maximum rate of  92/hour.  And this does not
allow for those who choose to send their name and QTH !

-	Above all – be patient – using these guidelines will help you and others
make a QSO with that rare one.

Don G3BJ
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