Interesting, I also started in RTTY contest around 1997 and like Shelby seldom
participate in conversational RTTY. In my case that is due to a stoke of 9
years back and since then the fingers on my left hand often do not land on the
key my brain tells them to hit.
I'm not near the coast and whenever I fire up the Amp to the 3 high TH-7 stack
I always feel like an alligator in that there are stations calling that are
just to weak for me to print. I try to dig out all I can, but sometimes I
deliberately dial the power down to cut back on those calling that I just
cannot begin to print.
As to QSLs, I try to respond to all direct cards with or without an SASE 100%
of the time. Bureau cards are more a catch as catch can, but the last shipment
I had from the W0 bureau was over a year ago.
However, I have uploaded all logs back through my SSB days in the late 60's to
LOTW. I've had a few LOTW confirmations from Qs in the early to mid 70's so
I'm not the only one who had uploaded old logs. To Me LOTW is a cheap quick
and dirty way to get them confirmed. I know it is more difficult for those not
in NA to use LOTW but to me the saving in postage might be worth the pain of
getting to use the system.
73 Larry, W0ETC in Iowa.
-- "Shelby Summerville" <k4ww@arrl.net> wrote:
"Wesley Cosand" <wes.cosand@verizon.net> wrote: "With the advent of sound
card modem software there seems to be a large pent up demand for RTTY
contacts from DX ops with stations running 30 watts to a dipole. If you are
near the East Coast of the US with a good 20 meter antenna, I would
encourage you to spend some time working some of these stations on a weekend
and then fill out the QSL cards."
I', not on the East Coast, and others will have to determine if my 20 meter
antenna is "good"?
This "pent-up" demand, also exists in each RTTY contest, with far more
stations to choose from? As far a "filling out the cards": I'm convinced
that, when compared to CW/SSB, RTTY contest stations are more likely to send
out QSL cards? Doing well in a contest, carries with it a price, if you
participate in your country's QSL bureau! When I have done well, I'm elated
and exhilarated....however when my usual 2-3 pounds, per quarter, of QSL
cards arrive, I'm less elated and exhilarated! Answering "new", or "new
band/mode" cards, doesn't bother me at all. I no longer answer "repeat"
requests for band/mode, cards that have already been answered. I would far
rather receive an email request, for a card, which I will gladly return
through the bureau, than receive 2-3 pounds per quarter, most of which are
for "already confirmed" bands/mode!
I estimate, (too lazy to research) that I make 5000+ RTTY contest/DX
contacts per year? I can count on one hand the number of "conversational"
RTTY contacts that I have made, since 1997, when I started doing RTTY. It's
not that I'm anti-social, I just don't care for conversation, on the air!
I'm also convinced that answering QSL requests, and I answer 100%, has no
effect on a contest score? There may be some that will not call a station
that doesn't answer QSL requests, but there will be enough others that will,
that it will not adversely effect that stations score? Fortunately, I have
been able to reach a point, in RTTY DXing, that "the stations that I need",
are few enough, that I will send direct!
"It would be good if we could encourage the "little pistol" stations in
apartment buildings with the balcony antennas of the advantages of robust
modes like MFSK. But in the meantime, you can make someone happy by
turning on the amp and trying to pick out the weak signals from the
"pile-up" that may result."
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm...just can't understand how "turning on my amp" would help me
pick out those "weak" signals?
C'Ya, Shelby - K4WW
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