[UK-CONTEST] Re Datamodes and the RDXC!

[Phil Cooper]

Hi all,

As a datamodes operator myself, I can say that the BARTG HF Contest has been
running since at least 1977 (possibly earlier, but I wasn't into amateur
radio back then), and always on the 3rd weekend of March.
Therefore it is the Russian DX Contest that is the "new kid on the block".
Also, this contest is both CW and SSB, so that created its' own problems. On
20m, the CW guys were up as far as 14.078, and the SSB gang were down as far
as 14.104.

I would imagine that 40m was a nightmare, which is partly why I avoided that
band, and operated only on 20m.

Despite the fact that there is a new bandplan coming in next Sunday (wonder
why they didn't choose 1st April as a starting date???), there appears to
have been little or no consideration given to datamodes.
We HAD 10kc, and now - guess what? We have 10kc again, just moved up a
notch! Why didn't they go for 7.000 - 7.060 CW, and 7.060 - 7.100 for data?

The guys discussing this clearly don't operate the datamodes, or even appear
to have noted the dramatic increase in RTTY activity.

Oh well, such is life.

73 all

Phil GU0SUP


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