[RTTY] FT4JA performance over VK0EK

[Phil Cooper]

Hi all,

Trying to compare these two DXPeditions is difficult in some ways, as FT4JA is/was an easier path from EU than VK0EK.
Propagation also plays a very big part in the comparison.

Having said that, I think FT4JA were way more visible on RTTY than VK0EK. I never once heard VK0EK on RTTY. They were on bands too high for the conditions in Europe, or they were on at times that simply weren't favourable to Europe.
In the last week, VK0EK only ever seemed to be spotted on 30m RTTY from 0200 to 0600UTC, and propagation predictions hinted that this was not a good time for EU.

At least FT4JA were on 15m a lot of the time, and for whole days at a time too. 

It is my feeling that where DXPeditions go to such rare places, that it would be better if they opted for a single band operation - at least on RTTY - until the pile died down sufficiently to then go and try other bands.
This would at least give most people a good chance of getting an ATNO, and for me, FT4JA was that ATNO.

Given the number of ops at VK0EK, they frequently had 3, and sometimes 4 stations on CW, but rarely had anything on RTTY on a decent band.

With A and K indices not good, I fail to understand why they were operating RTTY - or any mode really - on 10/12 metres.
I feel it would have given everyone a decent chance if they had gone on 15 or 17m RTTY for a day or two.

But, at the end of the day, it is their choice. They went there, paid for it mostly out of their own pockets, so I guess the choice is theirs to make.

Although I agree that FT4JA did an excellent job (just because I got 'em in the log?) I do feel it is too early to say whether it is the DXPedition of the year.



73 de Phil GU0SUP


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