[RTTY] Fun, but

[Tom Osborne]

Hi All

I had a great time in the NAQP this weekend, but there are a few things I 
wish people would incorporate into their oerationg methods.

1.  Please put a 'CQ' or 'NA' or whatever on the end of your CQ.  People 
tune across your signal and hear 'W1ABC K'.  We don't know if you are 
calling someone, ending a CQ, or just finishing up working someone.  A 'CQ' 
on the end takes care of that.

2.  I know some people don't like to do it, but put the callsign of the 
station you are working at the end of the macro.  LOTS of times someone came 
back to me when they were CQ'ing, but were covered up at the start by people 
still calling them, and I had no idea who they were coming back to.  All I 
get is $%!()^&)Joe CO k.  Then they had to wait and send the exchange again 
so I could see who they were working.

3.  I have been seeing a lot of bragging about 1 new rig where you can get 
30 cycles next to another station and not be bothered by them.   But, you do 
bother us.

I have a 250 cycle filter and I don't know how many times someone sat down 
50 cycles above or below me and started calling CQ.  And I was way up the 
band, about 14.120 where there was lots of room.  Before calling CQ, open 
your filter a bit and see if you are sitting right on top of someone else. 
It seems as though this happened more than ever before this weekend.

OK off my soapbox.  RTTY contests are still the most fun and RTTY contesters 
are the best!  Thanks for all the Q's this weekend and CU in the Sprint.

Tom W7WHY