[UK-CONTEST] WPX RTTY 'n' Stuff

[Lee Volante]

Hi folks,

WPX CW:  SO-AB-LP-didn't-realise-I-could-watch-the-cluster effort.   967
QSO, 373 mults, don't know the real score yet.  Not enough QSOs on 40 and
80.....  I was disappointed watching all the scores come in until I
remembered the scoring isn't quite like WPX SSB and CW.   Read the paper,
watched a lot of bad TV.  WPX RTTY was brought to you in association with
Bill and Ted, Star Trek, and Austin Powers.  How sad is that ? :-)

It was going alright until near the end when I wound the mast down, and
realised I'd caught the rotator cable across a pulley. Freeing the cable
send the mast quickly down a final inch or two, and now it won't go up again
:-(   Hopefully sorted out before next weekend.

Finishing off on 80m near the bottom of the activity on 3567 or so, I was
queried on RTTY why I was not following the IARU R1 bandplan.  This followed
up with some loud CW saying "CW only, data up etc."   Now I'd spotted phone
QSOs from 3603 upwards, and the top of the RTTY activity seemed to be 3600.
On a Sunday night 80m CW was fairly quiet, there was a number of quiet ten's
of kHz below.  I considered the space and usage either side, and decided I
would cause fewer problems by transmitting out of 'recommended' band.   This
seems to be a valid argument except for the band policemen.

I noticed on 20m on Sunday morning, when there was a francophile QSO going
on about 14103 (really!) nobody went above that point .  I think the
intention is to pack together.  When there are no phone QSOs, the RTTY will
spread up.  When tuning up and hearing an SSB QSO generally signals the end
of the RTTY activity, and probably stop most people from tuning higher.
There is a good avoidance of the PSK guys, and most of the time for the
beacons, but RTTY activity doesn't like to mingle with phone.

The common practice, and the logical practice doesn't seem to fall in with
the suggested bandplans.  Contest activity never really does I suppose - and
knowing their temporary nature, I wonder why the recommendations don't
suggest centres of activity that can spread, rather than defined 'limits'
for others to try to impose on us with unhelpful transmissions, even if
there is no legal and also (when appropriate) no logical reason to adhere to
them ?

PACC:  Lightning dash for 64 quick QSOs - almost none on 40m (I miss using
my dipole) -  Hopefully enough for another PACC pennant to update the
collection.

1.8 MHz:  A laughable 21 QSOs (not including the PAs) of a few UK guys
(already with three figure serials) and a two or three hardy LYs calling CQ.
I normally come last in this contest and I don't see why this year should be
different.

73,

Lee G0MTN