[UK-CONTEST] UK Contest data modes in CC

[Ian White GM3SEK]

GM3WOJ wrote:
>Hello all
>
>> Neil, G3RIR wrote :
>> So why is PSK not suited for contesting?
>
>Two reasons I think Neil - firstly the name 'Phase Shift Keying' - any mode
>which is prone to phase changes during propagation - which occur quite often
>on 80m - is by definition useless, especially in evening contests.
>
That's a very good point. PSK decoding depends entirely on the phase 
content of the signal. A stronger signal is no help in decoding if its 
phase content has been scrambled in the ionosphere, and as Chris points 
out, this problem is particularly prevalent on the lower bands and in 
the evenings... oops.

The normal non-contest way of operating PSK is to use a wide passband 
and point-and-click on weak signals. But the strongest signal in the IF 
passband will take control of the AGC and drive down all the other 
signals. That isn't a deficiency of PSK31 itself, but it is a notable 
deficiency of the way people have come to use it. That is why the PSK 
operating culture is so vehemently against anyone's signal being notably 
stronger than everyone else - and that is totally incompatible with 
contesting.


>Secondly, the whole culture of PSK day-to-day QSOs is completely opposite to
>the philosophy of contesters - a mish-mash of time-wasting macros and
>unwanted information.
>
That is certainly how almost all PSK users operate in 'peacetime', and 
many RTTY users too. PSK is an undemanding, tranquil kind of operation 
that people can enjoy without feeling unduly challenged. Personally it 
bores me stiff; but there are many, many people who value PSK highly for 
just those reasons.

But RTTY is different - it has a split personality. In contests RTTY 
takes on a much slicker, more aggressive persona and becomes... well, 
much more like "contesting as we know it". That is why the big RTTY 
contests like WPX, RTTY Roundup and CQWW RTTY hold their own alongside 
their CW and SSB counterparts.

Like any kind of contesting, RTTY is just as difficult and demanding as 
anyone wishes to make it. (If anyone finds it boring, they aren't trying 
hard enough yet.)

But very little of that contesting mind-set affects the tranquil world 
of PSK - except once a month when the CC contesters barge in with their 
big signals and hurry-hurry-hurry. I don't think these invasions are at 
all welcomed in the PSK culture, and I don't think they are a good 
advert for contesting or a good way to make new converts. In fact they 
are playing right into all those 'ugly contesting' stereotypes that we 
are simultaneously trying to play down!

A far better advert would be to revert to a 100% RTTY CC - a genuine 
standup RTTY contest - which non-contesting datamodes users can dip into 
if they wish, with specific rules to keep the PSK slot clear of QRM.

The CC needs to look very hard at the reasons why none of the world's 
major contest organisers has chosen to mix RTTY with PSK in the same 
contest - and in most cases, not to promote PSK contests at all.  Who's 
out of step here?



-- 

73 from Ian GM3SEK
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek