[RTTY] RTTY Macros for Contesting, etc ?

[Dennis Bradley]

All:

Thanks for all the valuable info.

Dennis

Dennis Bradley, P.E. (N5TZ)	|	
Email:	dennis at dbradley.net	|
Phone:	281-606-5451		|



On Sep 29, 2009, at 2:39 PM, Jerry Flanders wrote:

> At 01:27 PM 9/29/2009, Dennis Bradley wrote:
>> All:
>>
>> With all the talk about the contest last weekend I thought I would  
>> ask
>> what stored macros folks are using during contests and for just
>> general RTTY qso's. I've not operated RTTY that much and wondered  
>> what
>> some of the more useful one's are.
>>
>> Dennis
>>
>> Dennis Bradley, P.E. (N5TZ)     |
>> Email:  dennis at dbradley.net     |
>
>
>
> There is more to it than just what the macros contain - if and how  
> they can be joined is just as important.
>
> Writelog lets me join macros by pressing a second macro key before  
> the first has completed. This is very useful and reduces the number  
> of macros I need in contests.
>
> I do not use separate run and s&p macro lists. This one macro list  
> covers everything and there is no distinction between run and s&p  
> modes - I just use them differently when in s&p.
>
> In yesterday's CQWWRTTY contest, I used:
>
> f2  %D 599 05 05 SC SC %E  (%D is his mouse-clicked callsign, %E is  
> end of macro)
> f3  %D TU %H QRZ %O%E     ( %H is his friend file entry, %O clears  
> my RIT)
> f4   W4UK %E
> f5  %D %E
> f6  CALL? %E
> f7  AGN AGN %E
> f9  599 05 05 05 SC SC SC SC SC %E
> f11 TEST W4UK W4UK CQ %E
>
> In my writelog.ini file, CtCompatibleAccel=YES,  
> SendCallExchangeKey=2 and QRZFunctionKey=3.
>
> Important - for all macros, a space precedes and follows any string  
> that would print on his screen. This means if I hit the f4 three  
> times to send W4UK  W4UK  W4UK, it actually transmits with two  
> spaces between each call. But it also means that no extraneous  
> character ever precedes or follows my callsign to confuse him. I use  
> no line feeds or carriage returns anywhere.
>
> Routine use:
>
> In Run mode, I start a repeating f11 CQ with the f1 key. Esc  
> terminates the CQ or any other macro in progress. When you call, I  
> click on your callsign and hit Insert key to send
> " N5TZ 599 05 05 SC SC " (I could add my callsign or yours at end,  
> or neither, depending on condx).
>
> You respond with something like " W4UK 599 05 05 TX TX N5TZ ".
>
> I click on your exchange and hit numeric pad +, which logs the  
> contact and sends
> " N5TZ TU DENNIS QRZ " I usually append a f4 or f1 to add my  
> callsign or start another CQ string, but not if a pileup is in  
> progress. If N6ABC has already sent his call in a pileup, I will  
> respond to him as next before your TU ends by immediately clicking  
> his call and append the f5, Insert, and f5 key again, so your TU  
> transmit as " N5TZ TU DENNIS QRZ  N6ABC 599 05 05 SC SC N6ABC" .   
> This seems to work about as well as  the guys who have special  
> "NEXT" macros to transmit NEXT instead of my QRZ.
>
> When in s&p mode, I will hit the f4 two or more times to send my  
> call as many times as conditions require to answer your CQ. The  
> insert key sends the exchange, which also implies my QSL. One  
> important difference in s&p is that I then log the contact with the  
> enter key instead of the numeric pad + so WL does not send the TU  
> QRZ macro. This is the only difference I need to remember for s&p  
> mode.
>
> f9 is used if he asks for a repeat, and f7 if I need one. f7 or f6  
> will usually get a repeat of his callsign if I need it. Remember all  
> can be joined, so three f6 keys will send " CALL?  CALL?  CALL? ",  
> or a f5 and f7 will send "N5TZ AGN AGN " to try to silence someone  
> calling over you out of turn.
>
> Notice that I never hit f2, f3, or f11 directly - these are called  
> up by other key functions (the insert, etc)
>
> I touch-type OK, so if anything unusual is needed, I just do an alt- 
> K and type it manually. This happens in less than 1% of the QSOs.
>
> If I left anything out, just ask.
>
> I wish I had antennas that work as well as these macros with Writelog.
>
> Jerry W4UK
>
>