[UK-CONTEST] Data modes

[Michael Ruttenberg G7TWC]

I'll go one step further.

At the beginning of the 2005 HFCC season I had never done RTTY or PSK, nor
CW, never mind compete in contests with them.

By end of the HFCC season I had competed in a fair number of data mode legs
and in a couple of CW legs, and gone on to do WPX CW and various other data
mode contests.

Had the HFCCs not encouraged more variety I very much doubt I would ever
have made the effort to try them out. Now I can honestly say I love them
(yes even CW [long standing joke aside, for those that know me]).

Data modes and HFCC gave me an even larger "kick" out of this hobby.

I, for one, congratulate the HFCC on introducing me to this insight into
another niche element of the hobby.

Mike
G7TWC
Young timers club: age 31 ;)


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ian White GM3SEK" <gm3sek at ifwtech.co.uk>
To: <uk-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 19, 2006 3:23 PM
Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] Data modes


> Keith Pocock wrote:
> >Hi All, I have read many of the interesting submissions in this stream
> >but have not noticed emphasis on the fact that the data modes enable
> >many amateurs who have developed hearing difficulties to continue in
> >their enjoyment of the hobby and to paricipate in contests.
>
> What Keith says is true, of course, for those who have such problems;
> but this whole discussion seems to contain some weird assumptions about
> listening to RTTY.
>
> It's understandable how frustrating RTTY must sound to a high-speed CW
> operator - your every instinct is to try to decode it, but it's like the
> proverbial monkey with a dot paddle!
>
> On the other hand, having the sound turned completely off is NOT the way
> to succeed at RTTY contesting either. There's useful information to be
> heard - especially when you're running or  breaking a pileup - that you
> can never see on the screen. It doesn't need to be loud or tiring; but
> it does need to be there, in the background.
>
>
> As for the rest of the argument: my respect goes to every entrant in the
> 80m CC who saw the rules as a challenge to raise their game across all
> three modes, then got their heads down and did whatever was needed.
>
>
> -- 
> 73 from Ian GM3SEK
>
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