[RTTY] What does it take to finish in the top 10?

[Jeff Stai]

hi Al - I've been working with K5RC to build RTTY contest capability at
W7RN in the Comstock near Reno. Yes, to be top ten you probably need to be
doing SO2R - which by the way I think makes RTTY contests even more fun.
You have to stay on your toes. I think K6LL's estimate of 50% increase is
conservative - IF you are really working the SO2R you should do even more.
Sustained rates of 120 happen. Just being on two bands and observing what
is going on there is a huge advantage.

One of the things I've been working hardest to do is get a feel for
propagation from W7RN. I also enjoy dinner out with my wife, but if you
want to be top ten, take her out on Sunday night when you don't have to
watch the clock ;) You should be scheduling your breaks based on
propagation changes - for SO2R you want to operate when two bands are
working - so those times that only one band is working should be your break
times. For this NAQP I took one break when 15 started to fade, because I
knew 40 wouldn't be available for a while. Your break schedule can make or
break a top ten effort.

The recommendation for the Inrad book I heartily second. Stub filters and
the other techniques in that book can make a world of difference when
you're trying to run two radios. Thoughtful antenna location and
polarization can also make a difference.

I'd also HIGHLY recommend reading voraciously anything AA5AU writes. Devour
his contest reports on rttycontesting.com.

And practice practice practice. You'd be surprised how operators are on
during the Outer Slobovian Digital Contest. Use these opportunities to
practice techniques and learn your propagation.

73 - jeff wk6i

On Sun, Feb 26, 2012 at 9:43 AM, Al Kozakiewicz <akozak at hourglass.com>wrote:

>
> I put an honest 9 h0our effort in.  It would have been 10 except that it
> snowed here for the first time this winter and my planned 2 hour break for
> dinner out with my wife turned into 3.  But, in my case, I doubt the extra
> hour would have made a huge difference.  I had a total of 429 QSO's and my
> best one hour rate was 69.
>
> I did learn this time to be more aggressive in switching from run to S&P
> when the running QSO rate slowed down.
>
>
-- 
Jeff Stai ~ wk6i.jeff at gmail.com
Twisted Oak Winery ~ http://www.twistedoak.com/
Facebook ~ http://www.facebook.com/twistedoak