[RTTY] RTTY reversebeacon spotting network wow!

[Richard Ferch]

After consulting the list of strings that the RTTY skimmer recognizes 
(see <http://wz7i.com/cw-skimmer/rtty-skimmer.html>) and thinking a bit 
more, I think I know what it is about the CQing style that may 
contribute to S&Ping stations being spotted.

If a CQ message or the CQer's TU QRZ message at the end of a QSO ends 
with either CQ or TEST, and the S&P station calls in immediately (so 
there is no noise burst in between) with their call sign, with or 
without a leading DE, the skimmer can get confused and think the end of 
the CQing station's message was part of the S&P station's message.

To prevent this from happening, it looks to me as if CQing stations 
should either end their messages without a trailing CQ or TEST (but 
*with* a trailing space, please!), or they should tack on a non-space 
character such as a K following the final CQ or TEST (with or without 
another trailing space; no-one needs to be able to read or click on the 
K, so a trailing space isn't needed here the way it is on call signs and 
exchanges), e.g.:
CQ TEST VE3KI VE3KI<space>
CQ TEST VE3KI VE3KI CQ K
but not:
CQ TEST VE3KI VE3KI CQ
Guess which one I was using!

73,
Rich VE3KI


N3QE wrote:

> In the contest itself, I would get spotted within seconds of starting to
> CQ. There were a couple of CQ'ing stations that had something about their
> CQ'ing style that cause S&P callsigns to get spotted on their frequency,
> and I don't think everyone got this pattern because sometimes folks would
> try to call me when I was S&P. Hint: if 40 stations are all spotted on the
> exact same frequency, 39 of them are probably not what's there!