[RTTY] [CQ-Contest] RTTY Reflections

[Tom Moore]

I have mixed thoughts on this issue because I fully understand and 
appreciate the fact that a hugh number of contest participants are not 
'contesting' per se. They're in it for many other reasonable and useful 
purposes. And we must acknowledge that, simply based on volume and scores of 
contest results, the vast majority of participants are in it mostly for fun 
or other reasons and not for serious competition AND that we who are 
'seriously contesting' really need all the QSOs we can get from this 
'majority' of non-serious contestors. In other words, how's does the saying 
go, lets be careful how we shoot the gift horse or something like that.

That said, before I first started contesting, I listend to many contests 
before I ever keyed the mic, keyer, or keyboard. I too, at the time, was not 
interested in contesting per se, but rather in getting new contacts for WAS, 
DXCC, etc. However (this was very important to me), no matter what I wanted 
to accomplish, I felt I needed to 'fit in' to the event so that

--- I was NOT 'a part of the problem, but RATHER a part of the solution'---

By that, I mean that I listend and watched the exchanges; I checked the 
rules; and set-up my exchanges to match those of the rules and those who 
were obviously 'CONTESTING'.  It wasn't hard nor overly time consuming. 
After all, these events are advertised as and called CONTESTS. Which, by 
almost all definitions, suggest that it is a COMPETITION where you're 
supposed to do your very best. Even if one is not striving to do that, 
he/she should, at minimum, participate in such a way so as not to interfer 
with the 'competitive' efforts of others.

To me, its just simple courtesy!

But yes, I get frustrated (and force myself to shake it off quickly) when 
I'm in the middle of a great 100+ QSO rate per hr run, and someone or two or 
more come along with their exchanges out of order or with a two line 
exchange that kills or almost kills the run in short order. But its like the 
intentional and unintentional interference others have been talking about. 
Ya just have to shake it off and keep on going to do the very best you can 
under the circumstances. How one handles these kinds of things, many will 
say, is a very real part of the competition.

Over the years, I've read the many statements, complaints, etc about those 
who don't conform to normal exchanges.  Most of the comments, I believe, 
have been offered not to demand that macros be exactly the same or worded 
one way or another, but rather offered to help make better contestors and to 
improve the 'contesting experience' for all.

I do not believe that a contest is a 'social event' where personal name 
recognition, comments, etc should be transmitted to one who is obviously 
CONTESTING. You like the guy. You want to call him by his first name. You 
want to help him by giving him your contact. You want to give him a long 
exchange to make sure he got it. But do you really want to disrupt his 
contesting effort?

Me? Though I may be a bit frustrated, I'm still very thankful for every 
single QSO no matter how it comes to me. But thats no reason I can't 
tactifully elmer someone along in the contesting experience.

Most of you on this and other contest related reflectors already know and 
understand these things. The big question is how do we educate in an honest 
and tactful way those who don't... or won't?

Just my 2 cents worth..

de Tom WX4TM



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "jeff stai" <wk6i.jeff at gmail.com>
To: "Bill Turner" <dezrat at copper.net>
Cc: "Peter Laws" <plaws at plaws.net>; "RTTY" <rtty at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 11:46 AM
Subject: Re: [RTTY] [CQ-Contest] RTTY Reflections


> Well, if they want to be decorative in their exchange or spell out
> MINNESOTA that is their right, and then I'll just have to stop and
> sort it all out with the keyboard. Same things happen with a little
> QRM - too much screen hash means you can't click. (And so you might be
> a little delayed in your response, no 2nd radio necessary!)
>
> And if they send something like NAME HERE IS JOE QTH TEXAS 73 GL AND
> HNY K, I will happily hit alt-K and reply TU JOE NAME HR JEFF 73 DE
> WK6I QRZ. I'm just happy they have decided to have fun in a RTTY
> contest and give me a Q. If they want to get "serious" they will
> figure it out.
>
> 73 jeff wk6i
>
> On Jan 8, 2008 7:28 AM, Bill Turner <dezrat at copper.net> wrote:
>> ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
>>
>> On Tue, 8 Jan 2008 08:35:14 -0600, "Peter Laws" <plaws at plaws.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >Really?  Then why all the attempts to control the characters others
>> >put in their macros?   I get annoyed at folks that have '/' in their
>> >exchange or the full state name, but hey, that's ultimately their
>> >problem not mine.  People will eventually find out what works FOR
>> >THEM.
>>
>> ------------ REPLY FOLLOWS ------------
>>
>> These attempts to "control" what others use in their macros are only
>> to help speed up the exchange a little. Unlike phone or CW, one can
>> not just ignore the extra "/" or whatever because RTTY contesting
>> programs are designed so you can use the mouse to click on the
>> exchange. If the exchange is not formatted correctly, it won't click
>> and the entry has to be made by hand. When 99% of the stations are
>> "clickable", you are naturally going to want to help the 1% become
>> "clickable" too.
>>
>> 73, Bill W6WRT
>
> -- 
> Jeff Stai ~ wk6i.jeff at gmail.com
> Twisted Oak Winery ~ http://www.twistedoak.com/
> Winery Blog ~ http://www.elbloggotorcido.com/
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