[RTTY] greater than 600 watts for RTTY?

[Jeff AC0C]

Bill - the answer for the Midwest regarding winning:  rarely, and that 
applies to a national win.  A world title is probably just not possible from 
here under any circumstances.

Even to do a US-level win, several things have to happen - all at the same 
time.  The big RTTY dogs on the east coast (that means AA3B and K4GMH) need 
to be on vacation or operating in a different category or down for bad wx or 
something.  And if they are participating, then you want them to take the NA 
title on the chance that the US title is thus available but that only works 
for one guy.  You need great propagation conditions for the double hop vs. 
single hop issue as you describe.

Oh, and you need luck - for example if K3LR decides to do a SOHP from his 
station you are sunk, even if you say Tim's skill level is rookie (which 
it's not) - any guy with a good station on the east coast is going to run 
rate and have prop longer than you will from the Midwest and that's enough 
to come in a few slots higher.  A secondary threat are Midwest stations 
located along the southern coast - meaning a single op from NR5M or K5GO is 
going to crush you as well.

After all, it's the black hole.  But it could be worse, from a QTH 
standpoint.  If I'm working my game right, I can usually give Jeff WK6I a 
run for the money despite his far superior skill set and his operating from 
the MONSTER W7RN contest station with 18 towers located out on a mountain in 
NV.  Of course he can run JA about 24 hours a day when the prop is up - 
something that I can't do either.

Keeping your chin up as a Midwest participant is a lot like what you guys in 
CA have - you run your own personal contest according to win criteria that 
you set.  My personal favorite is to say "1st place among SOHP with single 
towers not on an east coast state."  Of course they don't give wood for that 
but it's too demoralizing if my win/loss criteria is beating AA3B straight 
out - just isn't going to happen - unless he's got the flu and has a 24 hour 
power outage all at the same time!

73/jeff/ac0c
www.ac0c.com
alpha-charlie-zero-charlie

-----Original Message----- 
From: Bill Turner
Sent: Sunday, March 26, 2017 2:13 PM
To: RTTY Reflector
Subject: Re: [RTTY] greater than 600 watts for RTTY?

------------ ORIGINAL MESSAGE ------------(may be snipped)

On Sun, 26 Mar 2017 08:50:11 -0400, you wrote:>

>I hear that...I think I live in the Black Hole of RF sometimes.>
>Everyone seems to hear stuff I cannot.>
>73
>
>Thom KI8W

REPLY:

There's a good reason for the middle America's reputation as The Black
Hole of RF.

>From middle America, single hop F2 propagation on the higher bands
lands mostly in the ocean, both Atlantic and Pacific. In other words,
to work anybody you need double hop propagation. Understand however,
this is not an iron clad rule. There is also E-layer propagation and
when the SFI gets high, the F2 shortens up, but quite often, my first
statement prevails.

Have a look at the USA results after any major contest. The East coast
stations almost always prevail. How often does a Midwest or West coast
station attain number one? I'm sure it has happened occasionally, but
the East coast has a huge advantage, being closer to Europe, Africa
and Western Asia.

But it's still fun anyway.

73, Bill W6WRT
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